Movies - TV
Whatever Happened to the Russian on The Sopranos?
By NATALIA KEOGAN
In “The Sopranos’” Season 3 Episode 11, “Pine Barrens,” Christopher and Paulie are ordered by Tony to collect money from a man that is only known as “the Russian.” When the man refuses to pay up, a fight breaks out and leads to a survival challenge in the wilderness that ends with a mystery that fans have wondered about for years.
Thinking they’ve accidentally killed the Russian, Christopher and Paulie throw his body in the trunk and drive to the wilderness of Pine Barrens to dispose of it. When they arrive, it turns out the Russian is still alive, and he runs off into the frozen wilderness pursued by a hail of bullets.
Christopher and Paulie never find his body and the mystery of what became of the Russian has bugged fans for years. On "The Sam Roberts Show," show creator David Chase said that he kept it ambiguous on purpose, explaining, “I don't like to have every question answered. I like for there to be possibilities.”
However, later in the same interview, Chase did end up caving and revealed the Russian’s fate: "He collapsed and he was found by some Boy Scouts [...] Somehow he was carrying a piece of ID, which led them back to his boss, Slava, the Russian guy. He was put in a hospital, and [...] has massive brain trauma. And he was sent back to Russia."