DOSAAF, full nameVolunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy, was a paramilitary sport organisation in the Soviet Union, concerned mainly with weapons, automobiles and aviation. The society was established in 1927 as OSOAVIAKhIM and from 1951 to 1991 carried the name of DOSAAF. The society was preserved in some post-Soviet Republics, e.g. Russia and Belarus, although these may use a different name. In Ukraine, for example, the counterpart is "Society of Assistance to Defense of Ukraine". In Russia it was reformed in December 1991 as the Russian Defence Sports-Technical Organization ROSTO. In December 2009, ROSTO was renamed DOSAAF Russia. For Belarus, see DOSAAF. 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 to achieve this was the development of paramilitary sports. Initially, an important goal was financial support of the Soviet Armed Forces. At the same time, ordinary sports were supported within the framework of DOSAAF facilities such as sports halls, stadiums, swimming pools, gymnasiums and others.
History
OSOAVIAKhIM
The precursor of DOSAAF was the OSOAVIAKhIM created on 27 January 1927 by merging the Society of Assistance to Defence, Society of Friends of the Air Force and Society of Friends of Chemical Defense and the Chemical Industry. The goal of the society was preparation of reserves for armed forces. It soon became a powerful militarised organisation with its own airfields, radio clubs, parachuting towers and firing ranges. It became prestigious and romantic among the youth to earn badges such as "Voroshilov sharpshooter", "Voroshilov horse rider" and "Distinguished Parachute Jumper". Gradually, OSOAVIAKhIM developed into a back-up military training organization. Its courses included advanced disciplines like tactics, topography and armament. In contrast to the usual draft, a person could join OSOAVIAKhIM as early as 14. OSOAVIAKhIM supported a number of professional research and development programs for airplanes, glider, airships and stratospheric balloons, some of which were later taken over by the Soviet Air Forces. In the 1930s, Sergey Korolev's rocket research organisation and Oleg Antonov's glider project, among other efforts, were part of the OSOAVIAKhIM.
Post-World War II
In March 1948 OSOAVIAKhIM was reorganised into three societies: The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Army, The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Air Force and The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Navy. On 20 August 1951 they were re-merged as a single society, DOSAAF.
Late Soviet Union
As was common in the late Soviet Union, "voluntary" actually meant "partially obligatory". For example, every member of the Komsomol had to be member of DOSAAF. Membership was 10 kopeks in the 1960s–1970s – postage for a letter was 4 kopeks. DOSAAF received the Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner.
