status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kozmodemyansk serves as the administrative center of Gornomariysky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the town of republic significance of Kozmodemyansk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of republic significance of Kozmodemyansk is incorporated as Kozmodemyansk Urban Okrug. Museums A local museum was opened in 1919 and now contains paintings by many Mari and Russian artists. A regional museum to preserve artifacts of the Mari culture was opened in 1979. An open-air ethnographic museum opened in 1983. It contains over sixty varied buildings typical of Russian/Mari culture. They house over 2,000 exhibits of artisan craft and tools. Even the variety of fences around the grounds display typical Mari designs. Notable residents Andrei Eshpai (1925–2015), ethnic Mari composer, awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR References Notes Sources External links Official website of Kozmodemyansk Unofficial website of Kozmodemyansk Cities and towns in Mari El Kozmodemyansky Uyezd Populated places on the Volga Populated places established in 1583