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The Kalashnikov Museum was opened in the city of Izhevsk, Russia on November 4, 2004 - one week prior to the AK-47 designer's 85th birthday as a gift for his anniversary. The budget of the project exceeded US$8,000,000.
The Russian press commented that "Kalashnikov had received a most expensive gift, and had become the "wealthiest" Russian", but Kalashnikov, being a man of tact, always stresses that "this palace doesn't glorify me, it glorifies the gunsmiths of Izhevsk".
As for "…the most expensive gift" - there was another gift made on the day the museum opened. This is a gift that Kalashnikov "just couldn't believe", a gift that for Kalashnikov overshadowed even having a museum in his name - take the tour to find out what it was.
This virtual tour is the very first guide on the subject - up to the present (July 2006), no other catalogue of the museum's collection is available, either in Russian or other languages, in print or in electronic format.
With 327 high resolution photos, zoom-enabled for closer inspection, this virtual tour guides you throughout the exhibitions of a museum devoted to the designs and weapons of one of the most famous firearms engineers in history, Mikhail Kalashnikov, and also allows you to explore the story of his life.
By clicking on the sequential images, you're effectively "moving" through the exhibition and occasionally stopping to get a closer look, seeing things on display just as you would if you were walking down the museum's exhibition hall.
We make it possible for people to view the museum and its exhibits from their computer - it's virtually like you've been there.
Currently, guided on-site tours to the museum are provided only in Russian - so, if you were to visit Izhevsk, but you don't know Russian, you'd need to bring an interpreter along with you to the museum to understand what the tour guide is saying.
The purpose behind this virtual tour is to provide a richly illustrated tour in English, a language that is accessible to many of the world's people who are interested in all things Kalashnikov.
We have devoted significant effort into taking and organizing the photographs and providing commentary. Some photos can stand alone, without additional explanation - generally, these are the close-up views of artifacts.
In terms of content, we didn't venture much beyond the scope of the regular guided tour that can be taken at the museum - the comments we have added are meant either to add context for understanding some of the realities of the Soviet era, or to bring some exciting factual coincidences to your attention.
The designer himself has donated to the museum photos, archives, memoirs, video materials, numerous certificates of merit and awards, and his own collection of edged weapons. At present, the museum's collection contains about 5,000 items.
However, this is not just one more weapons museum - on the contrary, visitors become acquainted with a lively, intelligent and sensitive person. There are plenty of household items on display, and voice of Mikhail Kalashnikov follows you throughout the exhibition.
Note: This virtual tour is neither endorsed nor produced by The Kalashnikov Museum. It is a private effort and presents the exposition in an informative manner without editorial comment from the staff of the Museum.
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Kalashnikov in the News: March 13, 2007 Cannes, France. "Hotel and business center "Kalashnikov" to be built in the form of AK-47 submachine gun"
... hotel and business center "Kalashnikov" to be built in the form of AK-47 submachine gun, which, as suggested by Peterburg architects, can be built on artificial island in the Izhevsk pond.
... Read more |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to AK-47 Museum:
The goals and structure of this virtual tour.
The story of the Kalashnikov Museum
Opening of the Museum.
The "temple theme" of the Museum.
The city of Izhevsk
The spirit of Kalashnikov - or rather spirits…Kalashnikov Vodka
Street ads bearing the Kalashnikov name
Entering the Kalashnikov Museum
The building. The gift shop. The central exhibition hall.
Introducing Mikhail Kalashnikov, his family, and his life prior to World War II
The Russian "Wild East" vs the Westward Expansion of United States
1933 - 1942
Young Kalashnikov escapes from exile.
The railroad years.
WWII begins.
1942: Kalashnikov's weapon design career begins
1940s: Russian small arms designers and their designs
1940s: Hugo Schmeisser, John Garand and others
The AK-47 is born
1947: the AK-47 and the 4 other most promising assault rifle designs
Top secret documents revealed for the first time
The experimental model that never made its way into the Army.
Kalashnikov's work place
Documents autographed by Kalashnikov
The story of limited edition version of AK-47
AK-74 / AK-100 / Saiga
Unification of AK-47 series
The AK-74 series
The AK-100 series
The Saiga / Vepr series
More top secret documents autographed by Kalashnikov
The Hall of Fame: Part I
Kalashnikov's insignia and awards
Kalashnikov's collection of edged weapons
What Kalashnikov, Tsar Peter I The Great, the Russian Supreme Military Commander Aleksandr Suvorov, Napoleon, Wellington and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn have in common
Publications about Kalashnikov in the Russian and foreign press
Kalashnikov meets Eugene Stoner, Uzi Gal and Bill Ruger
The AK-47 on the Flag of Mozambique: the story
The Hall of Fame: Part II
More of Kalashnikov's awards
Licensed copies of the AK-47 are manufactured in 19 countries
Kalashnikov's family photographs
Civilian inventions of Kalashnikov: the lawnmower and the barbecue gadget
The second hall of the exhibition
Inside Kalashnikov's own apartments at the Museum
The "Pride - Faithfulness - Duty" installation
The Izhevsky Mekhanichesky Zavod (Baikal) exposition
Rifles with artistic styling (threading, engraving, incrustation)
The Izhmash exposition
A study of Russian-made Kalashnikov Vodka
Why Kalashnikov agreed to lend his name to a vodka brand
Regular Kalashnikov Vodka
Kalashnikov's 80th and 85th Anniversary Vodka
Kalashnikov Vodka and the AK-47 Vodka in a rifle-shaped bottle
Kalashnikov Vodka shotglasses (stopkas)
Kalashnikov Vodka promotional posters
A few snippets of what's coming in the next version of The Illustrated Virtual Guided Tour of the Kalashnikov Museum.
A tour of gun shops in Izhevsk: "Saiga" (owned by Izhmash), "Okhotnik" (owned by Kalashnikov's grandson) and more.
A tour of shooting ranges in Izhevsk
An Izhmash museum tour
A Peter Tchaikovsky estate tour: the famous composer was born and grew up in Udmurtia
A sightseeing tour of Izhevsk
A "night life of Izhevsk" tour
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