Australia has farewelled Stefan Romaniw, one of the nation’s multicultural champions, in an emotional and moving state funeral.

Mr Romaniw, 68, was a prominent Ukrainian community leader and former chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

He died in Poland, enroute home, after attending a conference in Lithuania. It has been reported that he collapsed at Warsaw Airport and was put into an induced coma but did not recover.

Mr Romaniw was the first Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress and was a vehement activist and critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was also a supporter of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Australia.

Shortly before his death, he had spoken at the World Congress of the Anti-Imperial Peoples’ Bloc in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas.

Ukrainian community leader and architect Maru Jarockyj has told of Mr Romaniw’s commitment to the Ukrainian community and described his leadership as “irreplaceable”.

“I have known Stefan since I arrived in Australia from Manchester several decades ago; I lived in his street,” Ms Jarockyj said.

“He was a good neighbour and a friend who was always there to help. As for his work for the Ukrainian community, there was no task too small or too big.

“Stefan was there for people 24 hours a day.”

Ms Jarockyj said his passion and patriotism for his people stemmed from his father’s experiences as a forced labourer during WWII.

“And that story is circular in the sense of history repeating itself when you look at what is happening in Ukraine today,” she said.

“Stefan was born here but his father was taken by the Germans into a labour camp. After that, a lot of Ukrainians wanted to get as far away as possible from the horrors of Europe.

“Australia was taking people in at the time and his father ended up working on the Snowy Mountains Scheme on a two-year contract.”

Ms Jarockyj, whose own parents settled in the UK after WWII, said Ukrainian was the first language Stefan learned and he set up a community language program out of respect for his culture.

She said after his parents moved to Victoria Stefan, as an only child, was taken to every event organised by the Ukrainian community.

“When I came to Australia, Stefan was running a Ukrainian Saturday school for kids. After two months I was on the teaching staff at the school teaching Ukrainian literature.

“I’ve always worked with Stefan, at the church, in the community and at the school. His was like a second family to us.”

Ms Jarockyj said Mr Romaniw’s influence as a community leader became global after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Having become chair of Ukrainian organisations in Australia, Stefan was pitched into the world Ukrainian diaspora scene,” she said.

“He became a key member of the World Association of Ukrainians representing Australia and Oceania on the World Congress for 25 years,” Ms Jarockyj said.

She said Mr Romaniw was instrumental in the recognition of the Ukrainian famine in the 1930s as a crime against humanity.

“When Ukraine became independent in 1991, he worked to strengthen the ties between Ukraine and Australia, and he also had a lot more to do with Ukrainian government programs.

“He became a member of the Holodomor (great famine) Memorial Committee and played a large role in the acknowledgement of the genocide carried out by Stalin in the 1930s which saw ten million people die of hunger at a time when Ukraine was the grain bowl of Europe.

“Stefan did a lot to promote the history of the Holodomor, a subject that was taboo in the Soviet Union and not spoken of or written about.

“One the world stage, Stefan did a huge amount of work mobilising the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia, the UK, US, Canada and other places.

“Most recently, he did a lot of work supporting Ukrainian refugees and advocating for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.

“As soon as the full-scale war started in 2022, Stefan, as the vice president of the world congress, stepped up advocacy for refuges in Poland, where the first big wave arrived and then in Canada, Australia and the US.”

Ms Jarockyj said Mr Romaniw also ramped up diplomatic advocacy with the Australian government and was influential in securing the donation of Bushmaster infantry vehicles.

“Stefan’s advocacy over the Bushmasters saved thousands of lives,” she said.

“He was a major player and advocate in getting arms sent to Ukraine from other countries. And when refuges started arriving, Stefan got in touch with key organisations, such as AMES, to provide support.

“Stefan knew which doors to knock on and his warm nature and approachability got results. He was a can-do kind or guy. For him it was about ‘what’s the best solution?’ and ‘how can we tackle this?”.

“He was a Ukrainian Action Man or Superman.”

Ms Jarockyj said Mr Romaniw was comfortable in a range of company.

“He could sit and make pirogis with people at the church and he had a great way with kids. There was a warm human side to him, but he was also a campaigner and advocate on a political level who was able to approach politicians and get results.

“Stefan could talk to presidents or to the man in the street.

“His was a life of self-sacrifice. Every waking moment was devoted to his family or to Ukrainian people and issues. We were amazed how he found the energy to do all the work he did.”

Ms Jarockyj said his faith and a sense of right drove Mr Romaniw to keep going even in poor health.

“He was devoted to promoting the forces of good and he also promoted the health of Australia’s multicultural scene; he lived for harmony.

“We, as a community, are very saddened by his loss and we are not sure who will fill his large boots.

“But I’m sure he would be telling us we need to keep going. And that life goes on and we can’t give up,” Ms Jarockyj said.