Vladimir Platonovich Sukachyov was born on July 14, 1849, in Irkutsk, into the family of a civil servant of the Main Administration of Eastern Siberia, Collegiate Councillor Platon Petrovich Sukachyov and Agrafena Nikanorovna, née Trapeznikova, who came from an old and wealthy Siberian merchant family.

Sukachyov received his education at the law faculty of St. Petersburg University and at the natural sciences department of the Imperial University of Saint Vladimir in Kyiv, graduating in 1871 as a biologist. In the early 1880s, he returned to Irkutsk with his wife Nadezhda Dolzhenkova and their sons Boris and Platon.

In 1885, Sukachyov became a member of the Irkutsk City Duma and was elected the mayor of Irkutsk, being re-elected twice. For twelve years, until his departure to St. Petersburg in 1898, he continuously led Irkutsk.

During his administration, much was done for the city's development: the Volunteer Fire Society was established, telephone communication and electric lighting were introduced, water supply and sewage systems were improved, and the first pontoon bridge across the Angara River was built, replacing the ferry crossing.

In 1899, by the decree of Emperor Nicholas II, Sukachyov was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Irkutsk for his contributions to the development of public education, donations, and personal efforts for the benefit of the city. He was awarded the Orders of St. Stanislaus 2nd class and St. Anna 2nd class.

In his later years, Sukachyov lived in St. Petersburg, actively engaging in publishing activities. He also became one of the organizers of the Society for the Assistance of Siberian Students in St. Petersburg.

During the Civil War, Sukachyov moved to Bakhchisarai, where he passed away in January 1920, at the age of seventy-one, in the arms of his wife and daughter Anna. He was buried in the Orthodox cemetery of Bakhchisarai, and his burial site is still being sought.

Sukachyov invested significant funds in the development of Irkutsk. With his participation, the city theater, almshouse, and a shelter for juvenile delinquents were built, the Society for the Care of the Blind was opened, and a school for the blind was established. He paid great attention to public education and science, particularly to the Eastern Siberian branch of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.

Despite the variety of his public interests, the people of Irkutsk remembered Sukachyov primarily as the founder of the Irkutsk Art Gallery. As a collector, he began gathering art objects during his student years. In his estate in Irkutsk, he converted one of the buildings into an art gallery accessible to all who wished to visit.