[Event] Mikhail Koshkin: Creator of the T-34 Legend

Commanders! We invite you to take part in a special event celebrating the birthday of Mikhail Koshkin, the outstanding design engineer and creator of the legendary T-34 tank.

Event dates: 🚩 December 3rd – December 10th (ends at 10:00 GMT).

Join the themed event and receive 500,000 Silver Lions in total, a supply of boosters, two event-themed titles and a commemorative avatar!

Tasks

The event will last for 7 days. 13 tasks will be available from the start of the event.

Please note that after the end of the event, it will not be possible to obtain themed decorative rewards.

Event Store

Access the Event Store from the Hangar of any campaign by tapping the special themed icon.

In the store, you can purchase tanks from the T-34 line at a discount for Platinum Wolves.

Additionally, gold tanks from the same line are available at a discount for Golden Eagles in the USSR tree.

Special "T-34" Decal

A special decal featuring a stylized silhouette of the legendary T-34 dedicated to the birthday of its chief designer, Mikhail Koshkin.

The decal can be purchased for Platinum Wolves in the special store only during the event.

Historical Note

Mikhail Koshkin was born in 1898 into a peasant family in the Yaroslavl Province. Starting as a worker at a confectionery factory and later serving as a participant in the Civil War, he only managed to receive higher education in the 1930s, graduating from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute where he developed a passion for tank design.

By the late 1930s, it became evident that light tanks like the BT and T-26 were obsolete. Koshkin, who was then leading the Kharkiv design bureau, understood the necessity of creating a well-protected vehicle. He recognized that the complex wheeled-tracked system consumed weight that could be redirected to enhance armor. Demonstrating remarkable determination, he convinced the country's leadership to permit the parallel development of a purely tracked version: the A-32 (future T-34), alongside the wheeled-tracked A-20.

Koshkin and his team (including A. Morozov and N. Kucherenko) implemented revolutionary solutions: sloped armor, a diesel engine, and a long-barreled cannon. The result was a well balanced tank that surpassed all contemporary counterparts.

In March 1940, Koshkin led a trial run of the prototype tanks from Kharkiv to Moscow and back. The journey through spring off-road conditions severely undermined his health, leading to pneumonia. The designer passed away on September 26, 1940, without witnessing the triumph of his creation.

Legacy

• The T-34 became the most mass-produced tank of World War II.
• The tank's concept (sloped armor, powerful cannon, diesel engine) became a classic in global tank design.
• For the creation of the T-34, Mikhail Koshkin was posthumously awarded the Stalin Prize in 1942 and the title of Hero of Socialist Labor in 1990.

Mikhail Koshkin stands as a brilliant example of how determination, engineering genius, and the willingness to persevere for an idea can change the course of history. He gave his life for his work, and his name is forever inscribed in the annals of great designers.

Join the event and increase your victories alongside teammates in War Thunder Mobile (WTM)!