[1] It was established in 1927 with the goal of propagating civil defense training among the civilian population and of garnering popular support for Soviet armed forces.

Starting with three voluntary societies—for support to aviation, chemistry, and civil defense—it quickly branched out in several other directions, including mailer pigeon and military-service dog sections.

[2] The Osoviakhim was dissolved in 1948, but three successor organizations were united again in 1952 to form a similar voluntary society named DOSAAF.

[3][1] In 1920, during the Civil War, the Military Scientific Society was created as a voluntary defense organization in the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.

In 1931, the All-Union Physical Culture Complex program "Ready for Labour and Defense of the Soviet Union" was introduced in the country.

In April 1934, the country's first title "Fortress of Defense" was awarded to the Valerian Kuybyshev Electric Plant, whose Osoaviakhim organization achieved high performance in its activities.

At the first All-Union shooting competitions of pioneers and schoolchildren – young Voroshilov shooters and Muscovites were the first in the team standings.

On January 28, 1937, the Presidium of the Central Council of Osoaviakhim introduced standards for the collective mark "Ready for Air Defense and Chemical Defense" for the primary organizations of the Residential Home Society, and at the beginning of next year, the standards for primary Osoaviakhim organizations of educational institutions were approved.

On May 8, 1938, the Moscow Osoaviakhim member Mikhail Zyurin set the first world record of Soviet aircraft models that was officially recognized by the International Aviation Federation.

In 1939, the Osoaviakhim in Moscow had 23 regional organizations of the Society, a record-glider detachment, the Rostokinsky regional glider club, Baumansky, Leningradsky, Leninsky, Oktyabrsky, Proletarsky, Sverdlovsky, Stalinsky, Tagansky regional flying clubs, aero club Mosmetrostroy, city air and chemical Defense school, city maritime school, city rifle school, and the Osoaviakhim camps "Cheryomushki", "Veshnyaki", "Pushkinskoe".

In July 1941, the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union charged Osoaviakhim with the responsibility to organize universal mandatory preparation of the population for air defense.

On September 17, 1941, the Resolution of the State Defense Committee, "On Universal Compulsory Military Education of Citizens of the Soviet Union" (16 to 50 years old), was issued.

The activities of the Moscow's Osoaviakhim during the Great Patriotic War were highly appreciated by the Central Council of the Special Meeting, which awarded it with the Red Banner that was forever left in the capital's organization of the Society.

[citation needed] At the beginning of 1945, in Moscow, in the constantly operating formations of Osoaviakhim, there were 183 companies that consolidated into 41 battalions.