In the Soviet Union, people often carried a simple net bag known as an avoska.
Lightweight, reusable, and always ready—it was something you took with you just in case you managed to get your hands on something.
The word itself comes from the Russian expression “на авось”, roughly meaning “just in case.”
What People Carry Matters
In Selsoviet, almost every visitor arrives carrying a string bag.
And what’s inside it tells you a lot about them.
- Some come empty-handed
- Others bring small goods they may be willing to trade
A Silent Inventory
The avoska serves as a visible, diegetic inventory system.
Instead of relying on menus or UI elements, you read people the same way real shopkeepers would have—by what they carry in their hands.