Former leader of the Belarusian Trade Union Federation. He is retired, but keeps contacts with trade unions and political parties which ask him for advice.

Born on April 29, 1940 in the village of Augustova, Lahoisk rayon, Minsk region in the family of a teacher and accountant.

An economist by training (Belarusian Institute of National Economy, 1961), Mr Hancharyk began working as an economist at the farm in Luban district (Minsk region). He soon switched to Party work (1965), then he defended a PhD thesis in Economics (1976). In 1986 Mr Hancharyk became a trade union leader. He headed the Belarusian Federation of Trade Unions from 1990 until 2001. He was a Deputy of the Supreme Council of the 12th and 13th convocations.

Mr Hancharyk switched to the opposition gradually. At the 1st Belarusian National Assembly he was the only member of the presidium who openly voted against socio-economic development, proposed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. On that moment began the confrontation between the authorities and trade unions. Companies stopped transfering contributions to the trade unions, which paralyzed its activities. Mr Hancharyk conceded the post to Franz Vitko in the hope that it will correct the situation. However, funding of trade unions resumed only when they were headed by the former deputy head of the presidential administration Leanid Kozik.

The industrial trade unions supported him as a presidential candidate in the 2001 elections. Nearly two months before the election. Mr Hancharyk unveiled a photocopy of the document, which implies that the opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka were liquidated by the order of the latter.

As a result of a compromise between the democratic forces, Mr Hancharyk was chosen a single opposition candidate for the presidency, for whom another opposition leader – Syamion Domash – had to withdraw his candidature. Mr Hancharyk called upon Vladimir Putin to become a guarantor of democratic elections in Belarus. Referring to the parallel vote count, Mr Hancharyk announced that it was actually him who scored 40% (according to official data – 15.7%), and Lukashenka – 46%, and demanded a second round of elections. About 5 thousand people came to protest against the rigged elections on October Square in Minsk. Mr Hancharyk and 200 of his supporters barricaded themselves in the evening of September 9 for the night in the Palace of Trade Unions, which is located on the square.

After the election, he worked in the Russian commercial entreprise. Mr Hancharyk left the big politics, but kept ties with the trade unions, the Russian politicians, he provided advice and participated in meetings of deputies of the Supreme Council of the 13th convocation.

Over 15 years Mr Hancharyk established good ties with foreign unionists. Every time the government increased the pressure on the Belarusian trade unions, the Western trade unions responded by initiating economic sanctions against the Belarusian enterprises.

In his youth,  Uladzimir Hancharyk was an active sportsman. He played football at a very high, almost professional, level.

His wife Lilia worked as an economist, his daughter Alena is a merchandizer by training, his son Syarhei graduated from the Polytechnical Institute. Uladzimir Hancharyk has grandchildren.