Roman Ivanovych Ivanychuk was born in the village of Tracz [uk], which was then part of the Second Polish Republic.

[2] His family was opposed to the occupation of Galicia by Nazi Germany, and his brother joined the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

Upon entering the university, he was denounced by staff for refusing to join the Komsomol and wearing a vyshyvanka.

[1] During the 1989–1991 Ukrainian revolution Ivanychuk supported the People's Movement of Ukraine, the leading opposition group against the Soviet government.

He joined the Democratic Bloc, and he was additionally head of the subcommittee on Art, Creativity and the Revival of the Ukrainian Language within the Verkhovna Rada Cultural and Spiritual Committee.