Having just run a session about the political situation in Ussura using the 2e set up of Ilya vs Ketheryna I have one question:

Why hasn't Matrushka sorted it?

Normally she finds a poor farmer, gives them white hair and green eyes and boom - new unambiguous ruler. So why hasn't that happened this time?

It was the big plot hole that we danced around, and at one climactic point one of the players called out for Matrushka to intervene and pick a side, but given her inactivity previously, I didn't see a reason she would, so she didn't.