Abas Ali-Zade was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. He graduated from St. Petersburg University of Culture and Arts, specializing in directing and producing. After his studies, he worked in television in St. Petersburg. However, his true passion was documentary filmmaking. During a screenwriting workshop, Abas met Ekaterina Yakovleva, the head of RT Documentary, who invited him to join the RT team.«That's how I moved to the capital to create documentaries alongside incredible people—professionals I learn from every day. We're more than just a team; we're like a family, where everyone is fully immersed in the human stories we bring to life on screen. These are people willing to risk their lives to show viewers what they would never see in everyday life. I believe we're doing something important for our country and for the documentary genre as a whole.»