“I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design.”

“Life is composed of different inventions. I have continued to work at different things and rebuilt my home all by myself. I did it for the sake of satisfaction at doing something.”

“I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists.”

“The fact that people die because of an AK-47 is not because of the designer, but because of politics.”

“I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design.”

“For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a holiday at the Golden Sands resort, but I could not mention my real name. I was allowed to travel abroad only in the early 1990s.”