Arms Designer Day in Russia Date in the current year: September 19, 2024

In May 2010, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited a weapons plant in the city of Izhevsk. There he had a meeting with Mikhail Kalashnikov, a famous Russian inventor and small arms designer most famous as the creator of the AK-47 assault rifle. Kalashnikov asked Putin to establish a professional holiday for Russian arms designers. This request was supported by the Union of Russian Arms Designers.

Arms Designer Day was officially established by President Dmitry Medvedev in 2011. The date of September 19 was chosen because on this day the Russian Orthodox Church honors archangel Michael, Kalashnikov's namesake, who is venerated as Archistrategos (Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts).

As most Russian professional holidays, Arms Designer Day is a working day. It is most widely celebrated in the cities and towns which have weapons plants, such as Izhevsk, Barnaul, Novosibirsk, Tula, Kovrov. On this day, Russian arms designers are thanked for their hard work and contributions to the country's defense industry.