Prince Vasily Petrovich Obolensky (1780–1834) was a major general in the Russian Army during the Napoleonic Wars, from the Obolensky family.
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Biography
Born into a large family of Prince Pyotr Obolensky (1742–1822) and Princess Ekaterina Vyazemskaya (1741–1811), the aunt of Prince Andrei Vyazemsky. Brother Alexander was a senator, Kaluga Governor.
Already at the age of 3, Vasily Obolensky was enlisted in military service in 1783 – in the Narva Infantry Regiment with the rank of sergeant. On June 25, 1785, he received the rank of ensign, on July 4 – second lieutenant; on August 12, he was promoted to captain. In 1792, he retired with the rank of major, without actually starting active service.
In 1801, however, he was again enrolled in service – already in active duty, in the Olonets Musketeer Regiment. In 1805 and 1806–1807, he took part in the war with the French, receiving several orders for campaigns against them. On October 14, 1811, being at that time part of the Life Guards Uhlan Regiment, he received the rank of colonel and the position of adjutant to Prince George of Oldenburg.
On June 5, 1812, Obolensky began the formation of regular Cossack regiments on the territory of modern Ukraine. On June 7, 1812, he personally led the 3rd Ukrainian Cossack Regiment. In September of the same year, he launched a raid into the Duchy of Warsaw, commanding one of the flying detachments of partisans.
On September 3, 1813, he was appointed aide–de–camp, and on February 24, 1813, he was appointed chief of the 3rd Ukrainian Regiment, at the head of which, being part of the troops under the command of Blücher, he fought against the French, in particular under Katzbach. He took part in the battle of Kalisz, in the raid of the flying detachment of General Sergei Lansky on the territory of the Kingdom of Westphalia, later in the battle of Lützen, in which he commanded three cavalry regiments, near Bautzen, Reichenbach, Görlitz, as well as in rearguard battles. On September 28, 1813, he received the rank of major general. For his distinction in the battle of Goldberg, the Prussian King Frederick William III approved the awarding of Obolensky with the Order of Merit.