Osoaviahim Plaque

[Chuck In Oregon]

Many of us know that Soviet kids, both young and older, could qualify for a BGTO/GTO badge and wear it proudly. When they earned one by passing the required "norms" in the early days, the building they lived in was also awarded a plaque commemorating the building as one that housed a BGTO/GTO awardee.

What I didn't know until recently was that the same thing was true for the Osoaviakhim. Of course, I may be the only one who didn't know that. If a member passed the Oso norms s/he got a badge and their building got a plaque.

I was walking down a small street in Tbilisi recently and I saw this plaque over the door to an old apartment building. Actually, a 19th century home that had been collectivized. I was really surprised to see it and I had no idea what it signified, only that it was an Oso something. I have a small collection of Osoaviakhim items and, naturally, I thought this would make a nice addition to it, if only I could ...

So I mentioned it to a friend and when I told him where the building was he said "My cousin owns that building. Do you want that plaque?" Well, yes I do. So the next day they unbolted it from the building and tried to scrape/clean several decades of house paint off of this porcelain plaque. Maybe not real procelain, but I don't know what else to call it. It seems a little finer than just plaster, but maybe that's all it is.

So here it is, sitting on my desk chair here at the hotel. Ever seen anything like it?

Did I mention that I love this hobby?