| abstract | - Irina Peltsin (portrayed by actress Oksana Lada) was Tony Soprano's Kazakhstani girlfriend during Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Sopranos" and made several appearances in each of the next couple of seasons, up to Season 4. Irina is the first of Tony's girlfriends to be shown on the show. His later girl-friends on the show would include Gloria Trillo and Valentina La Paz. During Season 4, Irina begins dating Tony's political ally, Assemblyman Ron Zellman, who has been helping her assimilate better to American society, such as sponsoring her in English lessons. When Assemblyman Zellman announces their relationship to Tony, Tony claims he doesn't mind them dating, as he has moved on from Irina. But soon after, he becomes jealous of Zellman's relationship with Irina. He drives to Zellman's house, confronts him and beats him with a belt, humiliating him in front of Irina. It is later revealed that Zellman broke up with Irina shortly afterwards as a result of his stamina being sapped as a result of the beating, and being embarassed at his subsequent impotence. This plays a large part in Irina later contacting Tony's wife Carmela, to let her know of Tony's relationship with her cousin Svetlana. Irina's cousin Svetlana was a care-taker to both Tony's mother Livia, and to his Uncle Junior. She has only one leg, and her drive to succeed and make something of her life despite her disability greatly impressed Tony, along with her natural attractiveness. This led to him having basically a "one night stand" with her. Irina learned of this from the nurse employed by Svetlana. She called Carmela while she was drunk, and revealed what happened between Tony and Svetlana. This was the final straw for Carmela, as she had been tolerating Tony's unfaithfulness for years, and could stand it no longer. They separated for a while, but eventually reconciled. This is Irina's last appearance in "The Sopranos", and it is unknown at the show's conclusion what became of her character.
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