Flying clubs of the USSR on the eve of the Great Patriotic War: according to the materials of Donbass

Abstract

This article is devoted to the problem of the defense - mass work in the Soviet Union before The Great Patriotic War, including its own aspect - civilian aviation training through the network of flying clubs. Emphasis is placed on the policy of the Communist Party and the Soviet government concerning aviation and aviasport and its implementation in practice by the aeroclubs of Donbass. This paper analyzes the law regulatory of the creating flying clubs, their whole network across the country and in Donbass, the level of its material - technical base. The study presents the comprehensive analysis of aviaclubs as a whole in the USSR and in Donbas on the regional level, through the image of the government policy of the central power and local levels regarding aviation and aviasport and implementing it in practice in flying clubs of Donbass. After analysis of the all factors that influenced on the development of the air sport in the USSR the author came to the conclusion that activities of the Communist Party and the Soviet government adopted on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, helped to create a branched network of flight sports facilities for civilians, which were able to prepare many thousands inhabitants of the USSR, which fell the burden of future warfare. Chain flying clubs, although grew numerically in demand among the population and have enough material - technical base, to tell the truth had also some drawbacks, such as: negligence officers to their duties, financing, mainly at the expense of the local community, which is often not even to have enough fuel.

Keywords

• аероклуб
• Товариство друзів повітряного флоту
• Авіахім
• ТСОАВІАХІМ
• СРСР