After his father's death in 1205, the Galician boyars drove Vasylko, his mother and his brother Daniel from the region. The family was exiled to
Poland. Later Vasylko and his mother
Anna-Euphrosyne returned to
Volhynia, first settling in
Belz, then in
Berestia and in 1213 finally establishing a residence in
Kamianets on the
Horyn, where they lived under patronage of
Leszek the White. However, taking advantage of conflicts between Galician
boyars,
Hungarians and Poles, the two brothers started a
fight to reclaim their rule over
Galicia-Volhynia. In 1227 Daniel appointed Vasylko prince of
Lutsk,
Peresopnytsia and Berestia, and in 1238 his realm spread to western
Volhynia including the city of
Volodymyr. After the
Mongol invasion of Rus' Vasylko was forced to acknowledge
Tatar suzerainty, but remained a ruler. In 1259 he was ordered to burn all of his fortifications except of
Kholm. After the death of Daniel Vasylko became the eldest representative of the
Romanovichi dynasty and was de facto ruler of all Galicia-Volhynia. == Family ==