On the last Sunday of November, Kyrgyzstan celebrates the professional holiday – Day of the employee of the Defense Sports and Technical Organization of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyz Republicsynn Korgonuu sporttuk-technikalyk uyumunun kyzmatkerinin kunu). It was established by Decree of the Government of the Republic of November 24, 1995 № 508, taking into account the resolution of the Presidium of the Central Council of the Defense Sports and Technical Organization of Kyrgyzstan.
Defense Sports and Technical Organization (DSTO) – legal entity, non-profit organization – voluntary mass self-governing public-state association of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, who united on a voluntary basis of common interests to satisfy spiritual and other intangible needs. The predecessor of OSTO is the famous DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy), which existed in the USSR before its collapse.
In Soviet Russia, the first «Defense Assistance Society» arose in 1920 and united mainly red commanders who studied at military academies. In subsequent years, several more societies of this military-scientific orientation arose. And in 1927, one centralized «Society of Friends of Defense and Aviation Chemical Construction» («OSOAVIAKHIM») was formed, where about 40 million people were trained in the pre-war period.
During the Great Patriotic War, «OSOAVIAKHIM» branches throughout the country trained more than 9 million conscripts in various military specialties: radio operators, telephone operators, snipers, sappers, drivers. In 1951, the organization was transformed into the new society – DOSAAF, and it reached its highest prosperity in 1970-1980 under the leadership of the famous pilot Alexander Pokryshkin. At this time, the organization's size exceeded 100 million members, consisting of 363 thousand primary organizations. DOSAAF moved from basements to comfortable buildings, and the number of shooting ranges and flying clubs increased.
After the collapse of the USSR, the successor organizations of DOSAAF were formed on the territory of a number of countries in the post-Soviet space; in Kyrgyzstan, the Defense Sports and Technical Organization (DSTO) of the Republic has existed since October 30, 1991, and sports and applied sports are still developing here. OSTO of Kyrgyzstan has automobile, radio engineering, maritime, technical schools, sports, technical and sports shooting clubs, on the basis of which various specialists from mass technical professions of military-applied importance are trained.
OSTO of the Republic pays great attention to the development of military-technical sports: parachute, automobile, motorcycle, underwater, water-powered and shooting. OSTO consists of regional, city, district, educational and sports institutions, of which more than five thousand people are permanent members. The highest body is the congress of the Public Association, the executive body of the – Central Council. OSTO of the Kyrgyz Republic is an associate member of the International Union DOSAAF CIS.
Throughout its existence, the OSTO of Kyrgyzstan has come a glorious way, making a worthy contribution to the military-patriotic education of citizens and preparing them to defend the Motherland, and today the organization continues its work, with the main goal of promoting the strengthening of the country’s defense capability and national security.
The main areas of activity, as before, OSTO names – participation in the patriotic education of citizens, promotion of the development of technical, military-applied and technical sports, training of specialists for the Armed Forces of the Republic and mass-technical professions, introducing young people to technical creativity. On their professional holiday, all employees of the organization receive sincere congratulations from friends, colleagues and management.