In 1170 Roman defeated Bogolyubsky's son Mstislav in a battle, however after the death of his father in the same year he was expelled from Novgorod and moved to Volhynia, where he inherited the city of Volodymyr.

[8] In the same year, after the death of Galician prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, Roman captured Halych, but was soon expelled by Hungarian king Bela III.

[11] After a short period of reconciliation, during which Rurik granted him the town of Polonne, in 1196 Roman continued the fight against his father-in-law, allying with the Olgovichi clan.

[12] During this time he divorced his wife and married a woman named Anna, whose exact ancestry is unclear, but it is theorized that she could be the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos.

In 1201–1202 and 1203–1204 Roman led two successful campaigns against the Cumans, who were allied with Rurik during that time, and captured Kyiv, installing his brother-in-law Rostislav Rurikovich as its prince.

[13] Roman also established ties with the Byzantine Empire: according to Polish chronicler Jan Długosz, after the Faill of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204, he gave refuge to deposed emperor Constantine Laskaris in Galicia.

[18] According to some sources, in 1204 Roman was offered a royal crown by Pope Innocent III, but either refused to bow to Rome, or died before the coronation could take place.