The Twelve Chairs

This novel by Ilf and Petrov is still immensely popular, although it was first published in 1927. The "Great Con Man," the "ideological fighter for monetary signs," the devilishly charming Ostap Bender has been quoted for several decades, and many monuments have been erected in his honor. Other unforgettable characters from the novel have also become household names - Kisa Vorobyaninov, Ellochka Lydodeika, Madame Gritsatsuyeva.