THE OSOAVIAKHIM-DOSAAF-ROSTO (DOSAAF) 80 Years on the Motherland` s Service

80 years ago on January 23,1927, at a co-joint session of the First Congress of the AVIAKHIM and the Second Plenary Session of the Central Council of the Society for Cooperation with the USSR Defense Forces (OSO), the Society for Cooperation with the Army, Air Forces and Chemical Engineering (THE OSOAVIAKHIM) of the USSR was founded.

Founders and the first leaders of that unique by its historical scale public formation, including Alexei I. Rikov, Joseph S. Unshlikht, Robert P. Aidman, Pavel S. Gorshenin and Pavel P. Kobelev could scarcely imagine the footprint their organization could leave in the history of our state, hardly could they expect how viable and well demanded it would prove "during the days of national triumph and public disaster", how resonant would hearts of millions of people of different generations be with deeds of arms and feats of labor accomplished by alumnus of this the great achievements of Its pioneers, eminent scientists and designers.

Today, several decades since the birth of the OSOAVIAKHIM one can not but marvel at the wisdom and anticipation of those who created foundation and set key directions of its further activity, which, though revised and polished during different periods of the history of our Motherland and the Defense Society itself, sill remain in line with :he urgent tasks of the XXIst century!

The key directions of the OSOAVIAKHIM activity are:

• a wide- scope agitation and publicity work among broad masses on explaining the peace policy of our state and mobilization of public opinion around the tasks associated with the existing military threat and a necessity to keep the broad masses ready for defending their country;
• military training and retraining of the working classes for various disciplines, including a mass military training in military societies, organization of shooting sports events, military shooting, naval training, horse breeding, military working dog breeding, pigeon breeding and other types of public activity in support to the national defense;
• elimination of aviation and chemical illiteracy among working classes and organization of air and chemical military defense of industrial objects;
• spreading airspace knowledge, assistance to civil and military aviation, development of aircraft engineering and flying activity;
• assistance to chemicalization of the country especially its agriculture, arrangement of a wide scope use of different types of fertilizes and organization of an effective pest control;

Over the long years of its existence the OSOAVIAKHIM has been a good practical school for millions of people who were taught military art in pistol in air, automobile and motorcycle clubs, amateur radio engineering clubs and in various circle societies and sections.

In parallel the OSOAVIAKHIM proceeded with its active work on teaching the working classes aircraft engineering and flying business, developing mass parachute activity, glider flying and ballooning, the OSOAVIAKHIM was an organizer of an unprecedented conquest of the uppermost levels of the atmosphere by a stratosphere balloon crew made up of Pavel Fedoseenko, Andrew Vasenko and Elias Usinkin, who flew up to the altitude of 22 thousand meters, a record one for that time.

A significant contribution was done by this Defense Society to development of modern rocket engineering, model aeroplane, motor and naval activities, amateur radio engineering, training population for gas defense and anti-aircraft defense.

By the beginning of the Second World War the Defense Society had already numbered more than 13 millions of its members.

During the Second World War more than 9 million people were taught military professions in the DSOAVIAKHIM organizations.

During the difficult years of public disaster the OSOAVIAKHIM was rightly referred to as "the fighting organization". Just within the first several months of the War the Defense Society had sent to the front as much as 7 million 200 thousand people, more than a half of its membership.

Besides the acting army, alumnus of the OSOAVIAKHIM also took part in the guerrilla movement, militia, anti-aircraft defense and gas defense, in fighting against enemy s parachute assaults, demining liberated territories, assembling means for technical equipment of the army and navy.

On the territories being liberated it was the OSOAVIAKHIM alumnus who disarmed more than 70 million mines and shells, demined and cleared against ammunition more than 1 million 600 thousand square kilometers of the liberated territories and approximately 150 thousand villages and towns.

More than 272 million Rubles were raised and transferred by the OSOAVIAKHIM to the acting army for re-equipment.

A significant input to strengthening the combat potential of the army was made by the OSOAVIAKHIM lottery.

For courage and valor shown during the years of the Second World War hundreds of thousands of the OSOAVIAKHIM alumnus were awarded with orders and medals, with many of them being granted with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. They are Alexander Pokrishkin, Ivan Kozhedub, Alexei Meresiyev, Boris Saphonov, Musa Gareev, Sregey Kharlamov, Marina Chechneva, sharpshooters Vladimir Pchelintsev, Natalia Kovshova and Maria Polivanova, Yakov Pavlov, the hero of the Defense of Leningrad, and many others. The Defense Society boasts the fact that out of the 2785 military pilots granted with the title of The Hero of the Soviet Union 950 ones took their elementary aircraft flying training in the OSOAVIAKHIM air clubs, with 65 of them being two time Heroes of the Soviet Union.

By results of The Second World War for successful work on strengthening military defense of the country on the eve of its 20the anniversary the Defense Society itself was awarded with the order of the Red Banner.

On January 16, 1948, the OSOAVIAKHIM was divided into three individual Societies, namely: The Аll-Union Voluntary Society for Cooperation with Air Forces (DOSAV), The АН-Union Voluntary Society for Cooperation with Army (DOSARM) and The АН-Union Voluntary Society for Cooperation with Navy (DOSFLOT).

That structure of The Defense Society existed until August 20,1951, when the DOSAV, DOSARM and DOSFLOT were united into The All-Union Voluntary Society for Cooperation with Army, Air Forces and Navy (DOSAAF) of the USSR. The organizational structure of the DOSAAF was finalized by calling the First All-Union Conference of the Society in December 1953.

The DOSAAF was assigned to focus its efforts on spreading mass defense activity among working classes.

In different times the DOSAAF was led by famous military commanders, including Heroes of the Soviet Union Vasili Ivanovitch Kuznetsov, Nikolai Fedorovitch Gritchin, Pavel Alexeevitch Belov, Dmitri Danilovitch Lelushenko, Andrew Lavrentievtch Getman, Georgi Mikhailovitch Ygorov and Nikolai Nikiforovitch Kotlovtsev. Each of them left his remarkable footprint in the history of the Defense Society, the most outstanding stage of which fell on 1972-1981 when the DOSAAF was headed by three time Heroes of the Soviet Union the USSR Air Marshal Alexander Ivanvitch Pokrishkin, whose monument was erected and opened on January 18 by the Main Board of the ROSTO (DOSAAF).

All in all, it should be noted that the main tasks set by Soviet people and the Government for the DOSAAF were successfully accomplished.

For its significant contribution to development of mass defense activity in the country and training of working classes for defense of the Motherland DOSAAF was awarded with the order of Lenin.

In 1961 a graduate of the Defense Society Yuri Alexeevitch Gagarin made the first in the world manned space flight. He was taken to the Earth's orbit by a launch rocket designed by another genius alumnus of the OSOAVIAKHIM Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, whose hundredth anniversary was recently marked.

It was the period when the DOSAAF air clubs started mastering new air sports events, including helicopter flying, while strengthening their Air Force component. In 1980s new Air Force Academies were opened in the town of Voltchansk and in the city of Kaluga.

Specialized boarding schools with elementary flying training started to be opened all across the country, with the best of them in the town of Yeisk and in the city of Barnaul still successfully working today.

On September 25,1991, the city of Penza hosted an organizational conference, where it was decided to set up an All-Russia Defense Sports and Technical Public Organization (ROSTO). The conference adopted the Articles of the ROSTO and selected the first chairman of its Main Board Alexei Ivanvitch Anokhin, who led the organization until December 2004.

In October 1991 by a decree of the Seventh Plenary Session of the Main Board of the DOSAAF the alll-Union defense society of the country (DOSAAF) was transformed into the Union of Defense-Oriented Sports and Technical Organization (Society) of Independent States.

Thus, since that time the All-Russia Defense Sports and Technical Organization (ROSTO) has been the legal successor and heir of the OSOAVIAKHIM - DOSAAF on the territory of the Russian Federation. Later in October 2000 its name was supplemented with the traditional abbreviation of DOSAAF.

The ROSTO (DOSAAF) was formed under difficult circumstances.

The ROSTO (DOSAAF) likewise its predecessor OSOAVIAKHIM -DOSAAF gained a reputation of a reliable and unselfish partner of the State.

In 2006 the RF Law officially fixed the political decision on a stage-by-stage reduction of the term of obligatory military service in the RF Army. An effective training of highly qualified military specialists among conscripts became especially urgent.

In this connection the load on the ROSTO (DOSAAF) network inevitably increased

Military training of regular citizens within the ROSTO (DOSAAF) structure has got a number of advantages.

First of all it provides a possibility to make up the armed forces of already well trained specialists thus improving the military battle readiness of the RF military units and bodies of troops.

Today the air department of the ROSTO (DOSAAF) has to seek new opportunities for development and improvement of its air training activity.

The following organizations among air training subdivisions of the ROSTO (DOSAAF) should be specifically outlined as the best ones, namely: the Viazma based Air Force Training Center (UATs) (the head is K.E. Tikhanovitch.), the Novosibirsk Air Sports Club (led by (S.A. Osinni) and the Izhevsk Air club (headed by V.V.Kharin).

By keeping and maintaining its air training subdivisions as an integral training system of the RF Air Forces, which includes not only a number of the best in the world air engineering and flying schools but also a network of acting army infrastructure of the "small" aviation, ROSTO (DOSAAF) understands importance of further formation of its aviation - related structure under modern conditions.

Currently, the air structure of the ROSTO (DOSAAF) numbers more than 130 aviation organizations, including the Kaluga based Air Force Flying and Technical Academy and two aircraft repair plants in Moscow and in the town of Shakhtinski respectively.

Taken together aviation- related organizations of the ROSTO number 1800 aircrafts of 25 different types, including 150 units of An-2 aircrafts, at an average serviceability level of approximately 50 %.

The airfield network operated by the ROSTO (DOSAAF) includes 106 strips and covers the entire territory of the Russian Federation from the city of Kaliningrad to the Sakhalin Island and from the town of Arkhangelsk to the city of Makhachkala.

The ROSTO aircraft repair plants are capable of repairing up to 60 % of the entire fleet available with the small aviation and up to 80 % of all aircraft engines existing now in Russia. The Moscow Aircraft Repair Plant now actively masters different techniques for maintaining foreign made aircrafts while developing new design and technical documentation.

Based on our previous experience we understand importance of restructuring the aviation network of the ROSTO (DOSAAF) to bring its functioning in line with the Air Law of the Russian Federation. The ROSTO (DOSAAF) is ready and able to cooperate with all interested foreign organizations and departments.

The ROSTO (DOSAAF) is intended and able to use its aviation both for the state and general purpose missions.

Under current difficult circumstances owing to its close cooperation with the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense and the RF Air Forces on training pilot personnel, due to corporate solidarity of all air specialists and seeking new fields for economic activity, a unique in Russia L-39- aircraft - flying aerobatic team called "the Russ" was made up in the Viazma Air Force Training Center (UATs).

The Russ aerobatic team with honor represented the Russian Federation as a great country of aviation in many international air championships.

It is also necessary to get this defense organization actively involved in implementing federal programs e.g. the Federal Target Oriented Program "On Improving Traffic Safety in 2006-2012", in the framework of which approximately 1500 ROSTO (DOSAAF) driving schools and courses across all federal subjects of Russia are now training young drivers.

Development of defense- oriented sports activity, military and technical sports events have been the top priority of the Defense organization since the very first days of its formation.

In Russia the ROSTO (DOSAAF) has positioned itself as a specialized organization focused on spreading mass defense oriented activities, including development of air, technical and applied military sports events.

The "From model gliders to real gliders, from real gliders to aircrafts" motto, put forward firstly by the OSOAVIAKHIM and then supported by the DOSAAF, has become the guiding star for thousands of young boys and girls. This is our history which can not be ever forgotten.

In his messages to the Federal Assembly first on May 10,2006, and then on May 31,2006, at a session of the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports Activities under the RF President, the Russian president Vladimir Putin highlighted a necessity to develop technical sports event.

Currently, cooperation with the RF Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sports Activities for development of air, technical and applied military sports events is being significantly improved.

The ROSTO (DOSAAF) develops both high achievement and mass sports activities, which are an integral part of general training of Russian citizens for their service in the RF Military Forces.

According to official statistics of the Rossport in 2005 in international competitions out of 868 medals won by Russian sportsmen in 73 non-Olympic sports events, 558 medals were won by the ROSTO (DOSAAF) alumnus. In 2006 our sportsmen went up to the pedestal 527 times under the sounds of hymn of Russia.

Today the ROSTO (DOSAAF) is planning to perform yet another international "sports mission" that is to host and hold in Russia using ROSTO DOSAAF)` s sports facilities the third World Air Games scheduled for 2009.

By the way, during the recent meeting (on January 17 of this year.) with the leading sportsmen and coaches of the ROSTO (DOSAAF) the vice-chairman of The Russian Federation Government and the Russian Federation Minister of Defense Sergey Borisovitch Ivanov discussed not only the sports success currently achieved but also new tasks to be accomplished in the field of spots events.

Today one of the key directions of the ROSTO (DOSAAF)` s business is its international activities, with the top priorities laying with further strengthening and development of cooperation with defense- oriented sports and technical organizations of the CIS.

A remarkable input in strengthening authority of the air defense-oriented sports and technical organizations was made by co-joint events staged to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the CIS and the 80th birthday of the OSOAVIAKHIM -DOSAAF-ROSTO (DOSAAF), that was additionally supported by participation of the leaders of defense organizations of other countries in the Sixth Conference of the ROSTO (DOSAAF).

Based on the historical experience in cooperation, the outstanding liabilities of the federal budget, a practice gained in cooperation with various ministers and departments, public organizations, state authorities and bodies of the RF subjects, local governments and contractual relations, we consider it possible and necessary to make an

Agreement on a State-Public partnership between The Russian Federation Government and the ROSTO (DOSAAF).

We are very happy about the attention the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, vice-chairman of the Russian Federation Government Sergey Ivanov and high profile members of the RF Government have paid to the ROSTO (DOSAAF).

We consider it our sacred duty to meet expectations of our Motherland with our effective work.

Viacheslav Golovushkin