Editing DOSAAF

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{{Short description|Paramilitary aviation sport and education organization in the Soviet Union}}
{{for|the Belarusian organization|DOSAAF (Belarus)}}
{{Infobox organization
| type                = [[non-governmental organization]]
| name                = DOSAAF (Volunteer Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy)
| native_name         = ДОСААФ (Добровольное Общество Содействия Армии, Авиации и Флоту)
| native_name_lang    = ru
| logo                = DOSAAF RF 2.svg
| image               = 
| formation           = {{start date|1951|8|20|df=y}}
| dissolved           = December 1991
}}

'''DOSAAF''' ({{langx|ru|ДОСААФ}}), full name ''Volunteer Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' ({{langx|ru|Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту|Dobrovol'noe obshchestvo sodeystviya armii, aviatsii i flotu}}), was a [[paramilitary]] sport organization in the [[Soviet Union]] that was concerned mainly with weapons, [[automobile]]s 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, such as [[Russia]] and [[Belarus]], but they may use a different name. In Russia. it was reformed in December 1991 as the '''Russian Defense Sports-Technical Organization''' (ROSTO; {{langx|ru|Российская оборонная спортивно-техническая организация – РОСТО|Rossiyskaya oboronnaya sportivno-tekhnicheskaya organizatsiya}}). In December 2009, ROSTO was renamed [[DOSAAF of Russia]].<ref>[http://lenta.ru/news/2009/12/07/dosaaf/ "В России возродили ДОСААФ"]</ref> For Belarus, see [[DOSAAF (Belarus)]].

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 that 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 ===
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{{main article|Osoaviakhim}}
The precursor of DOSAAF was the '''OSOAVIAKhIM''' ({{Langx|ru|ОСОАВИАХИМ}}; full name: {{Lang|ru|Союз обществ содействия обороне и авиационно-химическому строительству СССР}}, 'Union of Societies of Assistance to Defense and Aviation-Chemical Construction of the USSR') created on 27 January 1927 by merging  the ''Society of Assistance to Defense'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество содействия обороне (ОСО)}}), ''Society of Friends of the Air Force'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество друзей Воздушного флота (ОДВФ)}}) and ''Society of Friends of Chemical Defense and the Chemical Industry'' ({{Lang|ru|Общество друзей химической обороны и химической промышленности (Доброхим СССР)}}).
[[File:Osoaviahim-1 aerostat 02.jpg|thumb|upright|The ''[[Osoaviakhim-1]]'' crew boarding their  flight in 1934]]
The goal of the society was preparation of [[Military reserve force|reserves for armed forces]]. It soon became a powerful [[paramilitary]] with its own airfields, radio clubs, parachuting towers, and firing ranges. It became prestigious and romantic among Soviet youth to earn badges such as "[[Voroshilov sharpshooter]]" ({{langx|ru|Ворошиловский стрелок}}), "Voroshilov horse rider" ({{langx|ru|Ворошиловский всадник}}) and "Distinguished Parachute Jumper".

OSOAVIAKhIM supported a number of professional [[research and development]] programs for airplanes, [[glider (aircraft)|glider]], airships and stratospheric balloons, some of which were later taken over by the [[Soviet Air Forces]]. In 1934, the organisation carried out the [[Highest manned balloon flight|record-setting]] mission of the [[high-altitude balloon|high-altitude]] [[Balloon (aircraft)|balloon]] ''[[Osoaviakhim-1]]''. Also in the 1930s, [[Sergey Korolev]]'s [[soviet space program|rocket research organization]], [[GIRD]], and [[Oleg Antonov (aircraft designer)|Oleg Antonov]]'s glider project, among other efforts, were part of the OSOAVIAKhIM.

=== Post-World War II ===
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In March 1948, OSOAVIAKhIM was reorganized into three separate societies: ''The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Army'' ({{langx|ru|Добровольное общество содействия армии (ДОСАРМ)}}), ''The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Air Force'' ({{langx|ru|Добровольное общество содействия авиации (ДОСАВ)}}) and ''The Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Navy'' ({{langx|ru|Добровольное общество содействия флоту (ДОСФЛОТ)}}). On 20 August 1951 they were re-merged as a single society, DOSAAF.

==See also==
*[[Svazarm]], in Czechoslovakia
*[[Defence Assistance Organisation|Defense Assistance Organization]], Bulgarian government-sponsored network of youth clubs 
*[[SSSR-V6 OSOAVIAKhIM]] (Osoaviakhim airship)
*[[Civil Air Patrol|US Civil Air Patrol]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://64.62.200.70/PERIODICAL/PDF/AmQSovietUnion-1941aug/3-13/ |title=Osoaviakhim Spells Soviet Civil Defense |journal=American Quarterly on the Soviet Union |date=August 1941 |pages=3–13}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|DOSAAF}}
{{Sports Societies of the Soviet Union}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Soviet state institutions]]
[[Category:Military of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Civic and political organizations based in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Military education and training in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:1927 establishments in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Organizations disestablished in 1991]]
[[Category:Sport societies in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin]]
[[Category:Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner]]
[[Category:DOSAAF]]