Ostap Bender was the main character from the much-loved book Twelve Chairs by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov.  Bender is a loveable rouge who is able to talk his way out of any situation and persuade people to part with their money.  One such example is when he tricks the citizens of Vasyuki into believing their small provincial town can become the chess capital of the world.  Many believe that the prototype of Vasyuki was Kozmodemyansk.  This museum is located in an old merchant house and has exhibits on the character and on the comparisons between Kozmodemyansk and the book.  It is run as part of the Kozmodemyansk Museum Complex.