Vasily Nikolayevich was born on April 27 (May 9) 1837 in the family of a service nobleman in the Epifany district of Tula province. In 1855, he graduated with honors from the school of guard ensigns and cavalry cadets, receiving the rank of ensign. His name, as the best graduate, was inscribed on the marble board of the school. On June 11, 1855, he began service in the Life Guards Cavalry Grenadier Regiment. In 1857, he entered the Nikolayev Academy of the General Staff and was promoted to lieutenant for his academic achievements.

After graduating from the academy, Lavrov was transferred to the staff of the Guard Corps and on January 12, 1863, in the rank of staff captain, was sent to the northwestern region under the command of General N. S. Ganetsky. As part of the staff of the 2nd Guard Infantry Division, he participated in battles against Polish insurgents at Gudishki and Shnurkishki, where he was wounded. For his courage, Lavrov was awarded a gold saber inscribed "For Bravery" and the Order of St. Vladimir 4th class with swords and a bow.

After returning from the 1863 campaign, Lavrov continued his service in the staff of the Guard Corps as an aide for special assignments. For outstanding tactical and strategic developments, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1866 and appointed chief of staff of the 2nd Guard Infantry Division. In 1873, Lavrov was appointed to the Commander-in-Chief of the Guard and Petersburg Military District and was also elected to the St. Petersburg City Duma. He actively participated in the work of the Duma, was a member of the commission for the construction of the Liteiny Bridge, and led the preparation of a report on the establishment of horse-railways in the capital. His main task in the Duma was the introduction of universal military conscription.

On August 30, 1875, Lavrov was promoted to major general and retained his previous position, and in September 1876, he was appointed commander of the Life Guards Finland Regiment, taking command on the eve of the unit's 90th anniversary.

In his personal life, in 1866, Lavrov met Maria Alexandrovna Pogrebova and proposed to her. After the wedding, the young couple spent their honeymoon at the Lavrov estate in Krivtsovo and in Paris. In 1867, they had a son, and in 1871, a daughter, Elizabeth, whose portrait by I. Repin is kept in the Russian Museum. The general's grandson, A.N. Boldyrev, became a well-known Soviet orientalist.

From August 26 to 28, 1877, Lavrov, at the head of his regiment, arrived in Yassy, where the 2nd Guard Infantry Division had gathered. Due to the overcrowding of the railway, the division was forced to undertake a 42-day march of 600 versts to positions near Gorny Dubnyak. The transition was difficult due to the mountainous terrain and changeable weather. Lavrov wrote about the hardships of the march but walked on foot at the head of the regiment to set an example for the soldiers.

On October 12, 1877, the troops of General I.V. Gurko began the assault on the Turkish fortifications near the village of Gorny Dubnyak. The task was extremely difficult, and losses amounted to up to 3,600 men. Lavrov's Finland Regiment had to cross open ground under fire. Lavrov led the soldiers into the attack but was mortally wounded. He was carried off the battlefield by Private E.I. Kolpakov, who was awarded the Badge of Distinction of the Military Order of St. George 4th class for this. The redoubt was captured only by night. Dying, Lavrov asked Kolpakov to take care of his family, and he indeed settled in Krivtsovo, serving as the elder and manager of the estate until 1887.

The coffin with Lavrov's body arrived in Mtsensk at the end of October 1877, and then to the village of Krivtsovo, where he was buried. In 1932, the grave was looted, and the remains were reburied. The last reburial took place on September 7, 1978. Now the grave with a bust is located next to the Krivtsovo memorial in the Oryol region.

The general's uniform, shot through and bloodied, was kept as a relic in the museum of the Life Guards Finland Regiment. A park-museum dedicated to Lavrov has been created in Gorny Dubnyak, and a bronze medallion has been installed in his honor on a rock.