ness ▁Kal ash nik ov ▁was ▁hospital ized ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁in ▁an ▁U dm urt ian ▁medical ▁facility ▁in ▁Iz he v sk , ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁U dm urt ia ▁and ▁where ▁he ▁lived . ▁He ▁died ▁ 2 3 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 9 4 ▁from ▁g astr ic ▁hem or rh age . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁a ▁letter ▁that ▁Kal ash nik ov ▁wrote ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁to ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church , ▁Patri arch ▁Kir ill , ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁daily ▁newspaper ▁Iz vest ia . ▁In ▁the ▁letter ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁suffering ▁" sp irit ual ▁pain " ▁about ▁whether ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁death s ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁weapons ▁he ▁created . ▁Trans l ated ▁from ▁the ▁published ▁letter ▁he ▁states , ▁" I ▁keep ▁having ▁the ▁same ▁un sol ved ▁question : ▁if ▁my ▁rif le ▁claimed ▁people ' s ▁lives , ▁then ▁can ▁it ▁be ▁that ▁I ... ▁a ▁Christian ▁and ▁an ▁Orth odox ▁bel ie ver , ▁was ▁to ▁bl ame ▁for ▁their ▁death s ?" ▁ ▁The ▁patri arch ▁wrote ▁back , ▁thank ed ▁Kal ash nik ov , ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁" was ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁patri ot ism ▁and ▁a ▁correct ▁attitude ▁toward ▁the ▁country ". ▁Kir ill ▁added ▁about ▁the ▁design ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁death s ▁by ▁the ▁rif