The “father” of the world famous “child”, Kalashnikov never planned on becoming a weapons designer. It was the war that put him on the path to glory, awards, titles, and science degrees. A wounded tankman, Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov swore to himself to “make a weapon, which would make his Red Army comrades invincible” – the oath that determined his entire life. Kalashnikov created a machine gun that the entire Russian army and half of the world are armed with. The machine gun that became an element of the world's culture, a symbol of the militant 20^th century. The machine gun, which is on the short list of man-made products that Russia does better than other countries do. It is also featured in other rankings, such as the list of the most significant inventions of the 20^th century, the list of products that changed the world. Mikhail Kalashnikov is proud of what he has done. But sometimes, joking wistfully, he says: “I wish I had invented a lawn mower instead.”