Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the legendary AK-47 assault rifle, turned to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church shortly before his death to express fears he was personally guilty for those it killed.
Kalashnikov, who died in December at the age of 94, in April wrote a lengthy emotional letter to Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, Izvestia, a pro-Kremlin daily, reported on Monday.
"My spiritual pain is unbearable. I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle took away people's lives, then can it be that I... am guilty for people's deaths, even if they were enemies?" he asked.
The typed letter on Kalashnikov's personal writing paper, reproduced by Izvestia, is signed with a wavering hand by the man who describes himself as "a slave of God, the designer Mikhail Kalashnikov."
Kalashnikov, whose funeral was attended by President Vladimir Putin, came up with the durable and simple rifle design after experiencing the Red Army's dire lack of weapons during World War II.
Now the AK-47 is widely manufactured unlicenced around the world and has become a visual hallmark of armed insurgent movements, including those using child soldiers.
Kalashnikov wrote that he first went into a church at the age of 91 and was later baptised.
The Patriarch's press secretary, Alexander Volkov, told Izvestia that the Russian Church leader received the letter and wrote a personal reply.
"The Church has a very definite position: when weapons serve to protect the Fatherland, the Church supports both its creators and the soldiers who use it," Volkov said.
"He designed this rifle to defend his country, not so terrorists could use it in Saudi Arabia."
The Russian Orthodox Church has sought to consolidate its new-found strength after the Soviet era by building up close ties with state agencies and powerful officials.
When Kalashnikov was feted by the Soviet authorities, it would have been unthinkable for him to have declared himself anything else than an atheist.
His daughter, Yelena, told Izvestia: "Of course you can't say he went to services or lived strictly according to the commandments. You have to understand his generation."
Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved.
United States
The U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment affords Americans the right to "bear Arms," but each state has its own regulations. Photo credit: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images
United Kingdom
Only licensed gun owners can buy and possess weapons in the UK. Hunting, target shooting or collecting are considered valid reasons to acquire a license, but self-defense is not. Civilians can't possess semi-automatic or automatic firearms, handguns or armor-piercing ammunition. Criminal offenders who have been in prison for more than three years are banned from having a gun. Photo credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Australia
Australians can only possess a firearm with a license, and licenses are only granted for hunting, target shooting, historical collection, pest control, and occasionally for occupational reasons. Civilians can't keep semi-automatic rifles or shotguns, and gun ownership for self-defense is not permitted. Photo credit: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
Mexico
Mexican law allows civilians to possess handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons, but only with a license. Valid reasons to request a license are hunting, target shooting, rodeo riding, collection, personal protection, or employment. Applicants must pass a background check and renew their licenses every two years. Nearly 70 percent of weapons found at Mexican crime scenes can be traced back to the United States, according to CNN. Photo credit: LUCAS CASTRO/AFP/Getty Images
Russia
Russians must prove that firearms will be used for hunting, target shooting, historic collection, personal protection or security in order to get a license. License applicants must be 18 years old and pass a background check. Licenses need to be renewed every five years. Photo credit: DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images
China
Chinese citizens are not allowed to posses firearms. Exceptionally, the government issues permission to own a firearm for hunting, sports shooting and animal control. Penalties for illegal selling of weapons ranges from three years in jail to the death penalty. Caption: Police display guns they seized from illegal traders at Chengdu Municipal Public Security Bureau on January 26, 2005 in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, China. (China Photos/Getty Images)
Canada
Canadians can possess handguns, but need authorization to carry them. Possession of automatic weapons is prohibited (except when the weapon was bought before 1978) and semi-automatic weapons are tolerated in exceptional cases. Applicants for a license must pass background test, must follow a safety course and be certified by a firearms officer. Licenses are up for renewal every 5 years. Caption: Rifles are lined up as athletes prepare to compete in the women's Biathlon 4x6 km relay at the Whistler Olympic Park during the Vancouver Winter Olympics on February 23, 2010. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
Brazil
Brazil has strict gun laws. Gun holders need to be 25, have no criminal record and attend safety courses. Licences are granted for reasons of hunting, target shooting, personal protection and security and must be renewed every three years. Caption: A policeman holds a seized machine gun at Morro do Alemao shanty town on November 28, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (JEFFERSON BERNARDES/AFP/Getty Images)
German civilians need to have a license to buy and hold firearms. Applicants need to be 21, pass a background check that assesses reliability and suitability and applicants under the age of 25 need to pass a psychological exam. Licenses are up for renewal every three years. Caption: A gun lies outside a branch of Postbank bank after an attempted robbery that left one guard dead October 29, 2007 in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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