▁Kal ash nik ov ▁rif les , ▁Iz hm ash ▁and ▁Iz he v sk ▁Mechan ical ▁Plant ▁were ▁merged ▁and ▁formally ▁renamed ▁Kal ash nik ov ▁Conc ern . ▁( 2 0 1 3 ) ▁ ▁Qu otes ▁" I ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁hospital , ▁and ▁a ▁soldier ▁in ▁the ▁bed ▁beside ▁me ▁asked : ▁‘ Why ▁do ▁our ▁soldiers ▁have ▁only ▁one ▁rif le ▁for ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁of ▁our ▁men , ▁when ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁have ▁automat ics ? ’ ▁So ▁I ▁designed ▁one . ▁I ▁was ▁a ▁soldier , ▁and ▁I ▁created ▁a ▁machine ▁gun ▁for ▁a ▁soldier . ▁It ▁was ▁called ▁an ▁Av tom at ▁Kal ash nik ova , ▁the ▁automatic ▁weapon ▁of ▁Kal ash nik ov — AK — and ▁it ▁carried ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁its ▁first ▁manufact ure , ▁ 1 9 4 7 ." ▁ ▁" Bl ame ▁the ▁Naz i ▁Germ ans ▁for ▁making ▁me ▁become ▁a ▁gun ▁designer   ... ▁I ▁always ▁wanted ▁to ▁construct ▁agricult ure ▁mach in ery ." ▁" When ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁I ▁read ▁somewhere ▁the ▁following : ▁God ▁the ▁Al m ight y ▁said , ▁' All ▁that ▁is ▁too ▁complex ▁is ▁unnecessary , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁simple ▁that ▁is ▁needed '   ... ▁So ▁this ▁has ▁been ▁my ▁lifetime ▁mot to   – ▁I ▁have ▁been ▁creating ▁weapons ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁borders ▁of ▁my ▁father land , ▁to ▁be ▁simple ▁and ▁reliable ." ▁" I ' m ▁proud ▁of ▁my ▁in vention , ▁but ▁I