Vladimir Barabanov was born on 1 August 1951 in the village of Zary, Navlinsky district, Bryansk Oblast, to a large peasant family.

From 1979 to 1980 - Chief Civil Engineer of the Department of Agriculture of the Navlinsky District Executive Committee.

In the late 1980s, he graduated from the All-Union Agricultural Institute of Correspondence Education with a degree in Organizing Economist.

[3] In the elections of the head of the Bryansk region in April 1993, Barabanov lost in the second round to Yury Lodkin.

In December 2000, he again ran for the post of governor of the Bryansk region, took 7 out of 9 seats, gaining 2.96% of the vote.