Ildirim Abdulmahammad oghlu Almaszadeh was born on March 25, 1907, in Baku. His father, Abdulmahammad, lived in Gala, one of the oldest villages in Baku, and moved to the city as he was engaged in petty trade. The poet known as Almas Ildirim in Azerbaijani literature was named Abdulhasan. However, after his grandfather's name, he was called Almas from childhood. He published his poems under the signature Almas Ildirim, which is how he became well-known and famous.

A. Ildirim began his early education at the Persian-oriented "Ittihad" school. In 1925, at eighteen, Almas graduated from the "Ittihad" school and continued his studies at the model school of Abdulla Shaig. 1927, A. Ildirim enrolled in the Oriental Studies Faculty at the present-day Baku State University. However, he was expelled from the institution shortly after his enrollment, with the reason given being that he came from a merchant family.

1928, A. Ildirim joined the newly established Azerbaijan Association of Proletarian Writers. Despite being a member of this association, he was viewed as a "Cığırdaş" (or "Fellow-Traveller") artist, which meant he was closely monitored by the State Political Directorate (GPU). His every move was under scrutiny. The poem "A dağlar," published in the "Hayat" magazine in Istanbul, became a topic of discussion within the Association of Proletarian Writers and later among members of the "Young Golden Pens Union." Akbar Ruhi, the chairman of the Association and an influential critic of the time, along with Mustafa Guliyev, accused A. Ildirim of writing laments and love ghazals under the guise of national literature. They labeled him  "an admirer of Musavatists" and "a true disciple of the Turkish conquests." The criticism was intense, with threats such as, "We will not allow this to continue," following the poet closely.

Subjected to relentless persecution, the poet A. Ildirim was expelled from the Azerbaijan Association of Proletarian Writers and exiled to Dagestan. His two-year exile coincided with a period of vibrant literary activity in the region. During this time, the poet engaged in educational work and simultaneously published his new poems in the newspaper "Dağıstan füqərası." These poems were widely circulated and received enthusiastically among Azerbaijanis, Lezgins, Chechens, and other communities in Dagestan. While in exile, A. Ildirim was actively involved in organizing the Association of Proletarian Writers of Dagestan and establishing the Derbent branch of this association. He participated in discussions and shared his new poems with the public. Quickly, he gained significant influence among the intelligentsia, students, youth, and working-class individuals in Dagestan. This rising prominence understandably concerned the employees of the political department, who closely monitored A. Ildirim's every move during his exile. They saw his continued presence in Dagestan as a potential catalyst for strengthening nationalist and independence sentiments, viewing it as a significant threat to the existing political regime.

The poet's broad nationalist and independence-minded ideas and his literary, educational, and social activities in Dagestan, prompted the State Political Directorate to impose severe measures against him. His book “Dağlar səslənirkən” (“When the Mountains Are Calling”), published by Azernashr in Baku in 1930, was swiftly removed from stores and libraries as it was deemed harmful literature that propagated ideas against the socialist system and the workers' and peasants' government. In the early 1930s, A. Ildirim was exiled from Dagestan to Turkmenistan. However, he continued his educational efforts, which he had started in Dagestan, in Turkmenistan. He taught at a school in Ashgabat for the children of Turkic families who had been resettled from Iran and the Caucasus. During this time he established close relationships with Turkmen writers, scientists, and intellectuals. He actively collaborated with local newspapers and Ashgabat radio, immersed himself in the life of the fraternal Turkmen people, and continued his poetic work. He was heavily involved in journalistic activities, and many of his poems and articles were published in the newspaper "Zahmet."

The poet faced constant persecution and was followed closely, with various attempts made to divert him from his path of nationalism. Due to the dangerous circumstances in Turkmenistan for him and his family, he decided to emigrate. In June 1933, he secretly left for Iran with his wife, Ziver Khanum, and their three-month-old son, Azer. At the border checkpoint, Almas Ildirim was immediately arrested and subjected to harsh treatment, including being kept in cold water for 24 hours. The Iranian border guards mistakenly considered him a Bolshevik agent and subjected him to torture and interrogation for 25 days. This brutal experience took a significant toll on A. Ildirim's health, ultimately leading to kidney disease. Eventually, following orders from officials in Tehran, the poet was released and sent to Mashhad with his family. This marked the start of Almas Ildirim's life and literary work in exile.

The poet felt alienated and lonely in Iran, in South Azerbaijan. Ultimately, he decided to leave Iran. A. Ildirim sought refuge in the Republic of Turkey, which, at that time, was the only independent and democratic country in the Turkic world. A. Ildirim moved to Turkey in 1933 and found a second homeland there.

He was provided housing and a job, which improved his family’s livelihood. At the same time, he tirelessly engaged in artistic creativity and wrote poetry. During his approximately 17 years of emigration in Turkey, A. Ildirim's poems were published in magazines that promoted the idea of Turkism, including "Çinaraltı," "Gökbörü," "Bozkurt," "Orkun," "Özleyiş," "Komünizmle Mücadele," as well as in the emigration magazine "Kurtuluş," published in the provinces of Van and Malatya, and Berlin. The themes of Azerbaijan's independence and longing for his homeland emerge in Almas Ildirim's lyrical poems, fully revealing his personality.

Between 1934 and 1935, A. Ildirim continued his teaching career while in emigration. He worked at the primary schools in the Karaçor township of Palu District. From 1936 until his death, he served as a clerk and secretary in various provincial cities across Eastern Anatolia.

Almas Ildirim passed away from kidney disease on January 14, 1952.

Recommended literature:

1. Nəbiyev, Bəkir Əhməd oğlu. Didərgin şair : Almas İldırımın yaradıcılıq yolu / B. Ə. Nəbiyev ; elmi red. N. M. Cabbarlı ; AMEA Nizami adına Ədəbiyyat İnstitutu. - Bakı : XXI-YNE, 2005. - 120 s.
2. Almas, İldırım. Seçilmiş əsərləri / İ. Almas ; tərt., ön sözün müəl. M. A. Teymurov, red. N. M. Cabbarlı, bur. məsul Ə. Güləliyev. - Bakı : Öndər nəşriyyat, 2004. - 160 s.
3. Səmədov, Abbas Abbas oğlu. Almas Yıldırım yaradıcılığında azərbaycançılıq ideyasının tərənnümü: dərs vəsaiti /A. A. Səmədov ; red. S. C. Şükürov ; Azərb. Resp. Təhsil Naz., Gəncə Dövlət Un-ti. - Gəncə: [s. n.], 2014. - 252 s.