The literary-ethnographic complex named after S.G. Chavain was opened to visitors on October 15, 1961, as a house-museum. The museum includes two buildings: a one-story wooden house where the founder of Mari literature S.G. Chavain lived, and a two-story wooden complex.

In the early years after the village was founded, work was done to clear the forest, wells were dug, and houses were built. In 1925, S.G. Chavain began building his house, and in 1926 he moved with his family to the new settlement.

Today, Chavainur is an ordinary village with beautiful houses adorned with carvings on window frames. In the center of the village stands the house of S.G. Chavain, surrounded by flowerbeds and trees. Every tree and bush here is dear to the people, just like the modest house where S.G. Chavain dreamed of living.

In every national literature, there are writers who have left a significant mark on the cultural life of the people. Sergey Chavain is one of those figures, the founder of Mari literature. His life and creative path were not easy, but he always remained true to the people and their dream of freedom and happiness. In his works, he called for the struggle for a better future.

The opening of the museum was attended by representatives of local authorities, Mari writers and poets, as well as the family of S.G. Chavain. In the early years after the opening, family photographs and portraits of Mari writers hung on the walls of the museum, and magazines in which S.G. Chavain participated were exhibited.

In 1968, on the 80th anniversary of the writer's birth, a friendship alley was planted in the museum's garden. In 1978, for the 90th anniversary, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the wall of the house-museum. In 1988, for the 100th anniversary, a complex was opened, built in the traditions of wooden architecture.

The museum houses over 1,000 exhibits related to the writer's life. In 2015, a nature department was opened. The house of S.G. Chavain is a wooden one-story building where the atmosphere of his time has been preserved. The museum hosts various events related to the life and work of the writer.

On October 6, 2011, a republican scientific-practical seminar dedicated to the literary heritage of S.G. Chavain was held. In 2013, a scientific expedition "On the Roads of S.G. Chavain" was organized, which traveled to places associated with his life and work.

In modern conditions, it is important to preserve national traditions. The museum reconstructed a Russian stove to demonstrate its use in everyday life and the baking of national dishes. On Open Door Day, an event called "Udyr Siy" is held.

Every year, poetry and theatrical creativity competitions "Chavain Readings" take place in the S.G. Chavain complex, in which schoolchildren from different districts participate.