How a Russian princess became a heroine of the French Resistance

“Vicky was not an ordinary person. She had a big heart and a lively, sharp mind. She approached everything passionately… She had an honest, open character and did not tolerate any compromises,” is how her friend Maria Muravyova spoke about Vera (Vicky) Obolenskaya, a participant in the Resistance movement.

Obolenskaya, maiden name Makarova, was born into the family of the vice-governor of Baku in 1911. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, her family left Russia and settled in France.

For a long time, Vicky led a carefree life. She was only interested in dancing and young men. At the age of 19, she got a job as a fashion model.

However, in 1937, the girl decided to settle down and married Prince Nikolai Obolensky, accepting the princely title. But, the couple's happiness did not last long – in 1940, France became occupied by the Nazis.

Into the underground

Many French responded to the call of General de Gaulle, leader of the ‘Free France’ movement, to continue the fight against the enemy. One of the underground groups was organized by businessman Jacques Arthuis, a friend of the Obolensky family. Vera and Nikolai immediately joined it.

Later, the group grew and strengthened, receiving the name ‘Civil and Military Organization’ (‘Organisation Civile et Militaire’ – O.C.M.). Vicky took the position of general secretary.

She met with representatives of small underground groups, received reports and transmitted tasks from the leadership and also collected and structured information for sending to London. Obolenskaya had a phenomenal memory and kept all the addresses, secret places and names of contacts in mind.

However, in December 1941, the Gestapo dealt a serious blow to the organization. Arthuis and several prominent underground members were arrested. It was the princess who helped Colonel Alfred Tuni, who took the helm, restore the functionality of O.C.M. 

Arrest and death

On December 17, 1943, Obolenskaya herself and a number of her comrades were arrested. During interrogations, she either tried to lead investigators down a false trail or stubbornly remained silent. The Nazis nicknamed her ‘Princess I-Know-Nothing’.

The Germans even tried to convert her, emphasizing that they had a common enemy – communism. However, this method did not work: Obolenskaya declared that she would not contribute to the destruction of Russia, even Soviet Russia, and the extermination of the Slavic race and her Christian faith did not allow her to be a racist.

On August 4, 1944, Vera Obolenskaya was guillotined in Berlin. France posthumously awarded her the ‘Legion of Honor’, the ‘Croix de Guerre’ and the ‘Resistance Medal’, while British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery expressed his admiration for her services as a “United Nations volunteer”. 

The princess’s feat was also not ignored in the USSR. In 1965, she was posthumously awarded the ‘Order of the Patriotic War’, 1st Class.