Russian boys and their toys

07 February 2012 - 01:59 By Phumla Matjila
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The Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947, the AK-47, Kalashnikov, Kalash, Mshini Wam'sends chills down our spines.

The Russian assault rifle, whether referred to by its full name, its abbreviation or any of its many nicknames - is still the weapon of choice for cash-in-transit attackers, bank robbers, rebels, revolutionaries and terrorisers the world over.

Our president aims an imaginary AK-47 at us when he chants "Awulethumshini wam".

Municipal workers carve it out of wood or cardboard and wield it when they sing, chant, smash, grab, steal and loot during their annual nationwide fest.

Arms dealer Yuri Orlov lauds the Kalashnikov's design in the movie Lord of War as "an elegantly simple nine-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam or overheat. It will fire whether it is covered in mud or filled with sand."

Even attempts by Mozambique's opposition in 2005 to remove the AK-47 from the national flag failed dismally. Frelimo will not let go of the Kalash, which still forms an X, with a hoe, on the flag, on top of an open book. The AK-47 is the symbol of the arms struggle.

The Kalash, as Orlov (played by Nicolas Cage) said in the movie, is "the Russian people's greatest export; after that comes vodka, caviar and suicidal novels".

"It's so easy to use, even a child could use it - and they do."

Child soldiers from Burma to Burundi sling it on their shoulders like an empty school bag.

The AK-47 is not only a weapon of war, crime, terror.

Former US professional basketball star Andrei Kirilenko's nickname is AK-47. The Russian-American got his nickname because his initials are AK, his jersey number is 47 and he was born in Izhevsk, in the former Soviet Union, the hometown of the rifle's designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Here at home, we had our own AK-47, former Moroka Swallows and Sundowns striker Sandile Ndlovu, who got his nickname because of his goal-firing skills.

So, with its rich history of making weapons - and as the producer of the world's most popular assault rifle - why are Russian toy stores filled with guns and weapons made in the US and Europe?

In other words, why are Russian children not playing with AK-47s, or any of the other killing machines in the Russian arsenal?

This is the question that must have been bobbing in Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's head last week when he tweeted that Russian boys should be exposed to their country's arms-making expertise by playing only with Russian toy guns, missiles and tanks.

Rogozin, a former Nato ambassador who now oversees the Russian defence industry, said on Twitter, Reuters has reported: "Our children have played with Leopards enough," referring to a German-made battle tank.

He said he had given a command to manufacturers to create toy versions of Russian weapons and military equipment.

Oh, boys and their toys.

Rogozin made these remarks while attending a conference on the future of the Russian navy.

So, if Rogozin has his wish, Russian children will not play with Uzis, Okapis, AUGs, pangas, M4s, knobkerries and machetes when there are plenty of Russian toys to choose from.

The irony is that, while Rogozin is "commanding" manufacturers to look at making Russian toy guns so that children play with original Russian weaponry, the president, Dmitry Medvedev, last year urged the Defence Ministry to buy more weapons abroad.

The Moscow Times reported in July that Medvedev made this call after being flooded with complaints about high prices and the low quality of his defence industry's products.

"You shouldn't buy junk," Medvedev said at a meeting with his defence team.

"If the equipment on offer is not satisfactory, you should refuse.

"Ultimately, arrange for imports - simply to let everyone understand that they need to give you high-quality products rather than insist that they have exclusive models and a classified portfolio."

Interestingly, last year, Russia bought two French Mistral class helicopter carriers.

Russia - the second-biggest arms exporter in the world - has been criticised for failing to keep up with Western technology and for regularly missing delivery deadlines, reported Reuters.

So, it might not only be the small boys who are playing with weapons from the West if the arms-makers don't get their bullets in order.

At least, Russia is still a reliable supplier of vodka, caviar and suicidal novels - and mail-order brides.

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