Vasyl Omelianovych Romaniuk was born on 9 December 1923 into a Hutsul family in the village of Khimchyn [uk], in what was then the Second Polish Republic.

During World War II, he studied at Kosiv within the General Government and was a member of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists operating underground in opposition to the German occupation.

His speedy consecration of bishop was not something special and similar method was widely practiced in the Russian Orthodox Church.

On 14 July 1995 Patriarch Volodymyr suddenly died under somewhat mysterious circumstances, with the official diagnosis being causes related to a heart attack.

Kyiv Patriarchate officials, flanked and supported by uniformed paramilitary guards of the UNA-UNSO nationalist movement, broke through the sidewalk asphalt outside the cathedral gates and buried him there.

The Berkut riot police came out from the gates of the Cathedral and attacked the assembly and fighting with Volodymyr's supporters left about 70 people injured.