DOSAAF
Encyclopedia
DOSAAF was a paramilitary society in the Soviet Union
, Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet . The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia
and Belarus
. The name is changed in some of them, e.g., in Ukraine
the counterpart is "Society of Assistance to Defense of Ukraine", and in Russia in December, 1991 it was reformed into the Russian Defence Sports-Technical Organization Российская оборонная спортивно-техническая организация - РОСТО. In December 2009 РОСТО was renamed DOSAAF Russia.
The stated goal of the society was "patriotic upbringing of the population and preparation of it to the defense of the Motherland". Among the means in achieving these goals was the development of paramilitary sports. Initially, an important goal was financial support of Soviet military, by means of membership fees, subscriptions, lotteries, and donations. At the same time, ordinary sports were also supported within the framework of DOSAAF facilities: sports halls, stadiums, swimming pools.
The precursor of DOSAAF was OSOAVIAKhIM (ОСОАВИАХИМ, Союз обществ содействия обороне и авиационно-химическому строительству СССР, Union of Societies of Assistance to Defence and Aviation-Chemical Construction of the USSR) created on January 27, 1927 by merging the Society of Assistance to Defence (Общество Содействия Обороне (ОСО)), Society of Friends of the Aviation Fleet (Общество друзей Воздушного флота (ОДВФ)) and Society of Friends of the Chemical Defense and Chemical Industry (Общество друзей химической обороны и химической промышленности (Доброхим СССР)).
The goal of the society was preparation of reserves for armed forces. Soon it has become a powerful militarised organization, with its own aerodromes, radio clubs, parachute towers and firing ranges. It became prestigious and romantic among the youth to earn badges of "Voroshilov Sharpshooter" (Ворошиловский стрелок), Voroshilov Horse Rider (Ворошиловский всадник), Distinguished Parachute Jumper, etc. Gradually, OSOAVIAKhIM turns into a kind of back-up army training, its courses including such advanced disciplines as tactics, topography and armament. Unlike usual draft, a person could join OSOAVIAKhIM as early as at the age of 14. By 1941, the head count of OSOAVIAKhIM was estimated by 13 mln.
OSOAVIAKhIM supported a number of research programs for airplanes, airships, and stratospheric balloons, but after the crash of Osoaviakhim-1
record-setting balloon the latter program was taken over by the Air Forces. In 1931, Sergey Korolev's rocket research organization, GIRD
, was originally part of OSOAVIAKhIM.
had to be member of DOSAAF (and the majority of the Soviet youth had to be Komsomol members, e.g., if they wanted to receive higher education). The membership fee for students was cheap (e.g., in 1960s-1970s it was 10 kopek
).
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet . The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. The name is changed in some of them, e.g., in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
the counterpart is "Society of Assistance to Defense of Ukraine", and in Russia in December, 1991 it was reformed into the Russian Defence Sports-Technical Organization Российская оборонная спортивно-техническая организация - РОСТО. In December 2009 РОСТО was renamed DOSAAF Russia.
The stated goal of the society was "patriotic upbringing of the population and preparation of it to the defense of the Motherland". Among the means in achieving these goals was the development of paramilitary sports. Initially, an important goal was financial support of Soviet military, by means of membership fees, subscriptions, lotteries, and donations. At the same time, ordinary sports were also supported within the framework of DOSAAF facilities: sports halls, stadiums, swimming pools.
OSOAVIAKhIM
The goal of the society was preparation of reserves for armed forces. Soon it has become a powerful militarised organization, with its own aerodromes, radio clubs, parachute towers and firing ranges. It became prestigious and romantic among the youth to earn badges of "Voroshilov Sharpshooter" (Ворошиловский стрелок), Voroshilov Horse Rider (Ворошиловский всадник), Distinguished Parachute Jumper, etc. Gradually, OSOAVIAKhIM turns into a kind of back-up army training, its courses including such advanced disciplines as tactics, topography and armament. Unlike usual draft, a person could join OSOAVIAKhIM as early as at the age of 14. By 1941, the head count of OSOAVIAKhIM was estimated by 13 mln.
OSOAVIAKhIM supported a number of research programs for airplanes, airships, and stratospheric balloons, but after the crash of Osoaviakhim-1
Osoaviakhim-1
Osoaviakhim-1 was a record-setting, hydrogen-filled Soviet high-altitude balloon designed to seat a crew of three and perform scientific studies of the Earth's stratosphere. On January 30, 1934, on its maiden flight which lasted over 7 hours, the balloon reached an altitude of...
record-setting balloon the latter program was taken over by the Air Forces. In 1931, Sergey Korolev's rocket research organization, GIRD
GIRD
The Moscow-based Group for the Study of Reactive Motion was a Soviet research bureau founded in 1931 to study various aspects of rocketry . In 1933 it was incorporated into the Reaction-Engine Scientific Research Institute .-History:...
, was originally part of OSOAVIAKhIM.
Post-WWII
In March, 1948 OSOAVIAHIM was reorganized into three societies: Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Army (Добровольное общество содействия армии (ДОСАРМ)), Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Air Force (Добровольное общество содействия авиации (ДОСАВ)) и Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Navy (Добровольное общество содействия флоту (ДОСФЛОТ)). They were merged back into a single society, DOSAAF in August, 1951.Late Soviet Union
Like with many other things in the late Soviet Union, the word "voluntary" actually meant "partially obligatory". For example, every member of KomsomolKomsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
had to be member of DOSAAF (and the majority of the Soviet youth had to be Komsomol members, e.g., if they wanted to receive higher education). The membership fee for students was cheap (e.g., in 1960s-1970s it was 10 kopek
Kopek
Kopek or Köpek may refer to:*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ruble*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ukrainian hryvnia*Kopek , an Irish rock band*Sa'd al-Din Köpek , court administrator under Seljuq Sultans of Rum...
).
See also
- SvazarmSVAZARMSvazarm or Union for Cooperation with the Army , was, in Communist Czechoslovakia, the largest "paramilitary" organisation, though in fact many of the activities that Svazarm provided for its members were more reminiscent of a Boy Scout movement than of a...
- DOSAAF (Belarus)DOSAAF (Belarus)DOSAAF RB is a Belarusian paramilitary organization. Formed in 2003, DOSAAF RB is based on the Soviet organization of the same name. The purposes of the organization is to promote citizen readiness, instill military training into Belarusian youth, citizenship education and provide training for...
- SSSR-V6 OSOAVIAKhIM (Osoaviakhim airship)
- Leyla MammadbeyovaLeyla MammadbeyovaLeyla Mammadbeyova was the first Azerbaijani female aviator. She was also the first female pilot in Southern Europe and the Middle East.-Career:...
(first female Azerbaijani aviator and Vice-Chair of the DOSAAF's Baku branch until 1961)