Fyodor Vasilievich Tokarev, whose full biography is described in this article, was an outstanding designer of small arms, head of an experimental workshop of an arms factory. He is a doctor of technical sciences, a Hero of Socialist Labor, since 1940 a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The creator of a light machine gun, called the MT and replacing the Vickers.
Parents
Fyodor Vasilievich Tokarev, whose date of birth is June 14, 1871, was born in the Don region, Mechetinskaya (Egorlykskaya) village. Vasily, his father, was left an orphan at the age of four. He and his sister were taken in by a maternal uncle. When Vasily reached the age of majority, he married Efimya, his niece.
Childhood
Fyodor spent all his childhood in his native village. He grew up unsociable, stingy with words, quiet. Design was his only passion. Already at the age of seven hecould make a small plow. And at the age of eleven, he did any work in the forge.
Education
In 1887, Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev, whose photo is in this article, entered the Novocherkassk military craft school. There, his mentor was the famous gunsmith Chernolikhov. After graduating from school in 1891, Tokarev acquired the speci alty "gunsmith". Then he entered the cadet academy. He graduated from it in 1900. In 1907, he continued his studies at the officer rifle school in Oranienbaum. New small arms were tested in her workshop and at the ranges.
Service
After the Novocherkassk school, Fyodor Vasilievich served as a gunsmith in the twelfth Don Cossack regiment in Volyn. After graduating from the academy, he remained in the service in the same regiment as the head of weapons. He rose to the rank of cornet. In 1914, the First World War began, and Tokarev was sent to the Donetsk district, where he was assigned to the regiment. At the front, Fedor Vasilievich fought for almost a year and a half. He was the commander of the Cossack Hundred and received six military orders.
Weapons and engineering career
In the Officers' School, Fyodor Vasilyevich Tokarev, a Soviet designer, redesigned a Mosin rifle. The result was a sample of a new weapon, automatic. This innovation was approved by the weapons department of the Artillery Committee. Tokarev was sent to the Sestroretsk plant, where the production of automatic rifles began. Fedor Vasilyevich was personally engaged in dressing the most important details. And at the same timedeveloped new weapons.
Just at that time there was a competition for the best new model of an automatic rifle. And Tokarevskaya successfully passed all the tests. Fyodor Vasilyevich received an award for this from the Military Ministerial Office.
The next sample of the new weapon was designed by Tokarev and given for testing in 1912. Fedor Vasilyevich continued to improve, and the third modified version turned out to be better than the previous ones. Production of the first twelve rifles began. Only assembly and debugging remained, but this was prevented by the outbreak of the First World War.
In 1916 Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev returned to the plant. He was appointed to the position of head of the department for checking and assembling finished products. He took up at the same time those twelve rifles that they did not have time to finish in 1914. Then the October Revolution followed, and after it - a lot of repressions. But they did not affect Tokarev. He was appointed assistant director of the plant. And until 1921 he worked in this position.
Discovering Talent
Then Tokarev went to work at the Tula arms factory. It was here that his talent was fully revealed. First, Fedor Vasilyevich modernized the Maxim light machine gun. And in 1924 he was adopted by the Red Army, receiving a new name - MT.
Two years later, an even more advanced version of the machine gun appeared. It was created specifically for aviation. And, having successfully passed all the tests, he replaced the English "Vicker". In 1927 Tokarev created the firstdomestic machine gun-pistol. It was adapted for revolver cartridges.
Fyodor Tokarev developed the TT pistol and won competitions to create new weapons more than once. In 1930, a special commission, led by V. F. Grushetsky, tested new pistols. It turned out that the Tokarev sample has clear superiority over the others, not only in terms of technical characteristics, but also in terms of use in extreme situations. It was approved and became known as TT. This gun is still appreciated, despite the fact that new and more modern models have long appeared.
In 1938, another Tokarev sample was adopted - a self-loading rifle. In 1940, it was finalized and received the name SVT-40. It was used until the end of the Great Patriotic War. On its basis, Fedor Vasilyevich created a self-loading sniper rifle, and then - an automatic (and the first in the country) AVT-40. When Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Fyodor Vasilievich began to work almost around the clock, upgrading weapons and attracting all the specialists he could find.
In 1948, Tokarev designed the FT-1 panoramic camera. It was produced in small quantities at the Krasnogorsk plant. After modernization, the device became known as FT-2 and was mass-produced from 1958 to 1965
Private life
Fyodor Vasilyevich Tokarev was married. Has a daughter and grandchildren who lived in a communal apartment for a long time. But according to its warehousecharacter, Fedor Vasilyevich considered it inconvenient to ask for better housing even for relatives. At home, he often worked until three in the morning. Zhenya always said that he would work as long as he was breathing.
Awards
The works of the Soviet designer are appreciated. Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev was awarded orders:
- Lenin (four).
- Suvorov Second Degree.
- Red Star.
- Patriotic War First Class.
- Labor Red Banner (two).
And was also awarded several medals. He received the title of Hero of Labor and Socialist Labor. He was awarded a doctorate in engineering. He ran for parliament twice. Tokarev also received the title of honorary citizen of Tula.
Death
Fyodor Vasilyevich Tokarev died unexpectedly. He was admitted to the hospital for a routine examination. Still, age took its toll. At that time he was already ninety-six years old. But Tokarev did not last only a week until his next birthday. He died in the hospital on June 7, 1968. He wrote a will for burial in advance. Therefore, now he rests in the Tula All Saints cemetery. There is a monument to him. And at the factory where the weapons designer worked, and in the house where he lived, memorial plaques were opened.
