MAXIM GORKIY in Venice November 2008

MAXIM GORKIY photographed from the deck of the COSTA SERENA, in the port of Venice on 16 November
2008, towards the very end of her cruising career.
Photograph kindly sent by Nick Tallenttire.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

SPOTLESS GORKIY

Few passenger cruise ships have had a more dedicated crew than the MAXIM GORKIY.

She had a Russian national crew up to Alang, and never lost the allure of a true flagship.

In fact she was the Flagship of the Soviet Union merchant fleet up to the end and was always carefully maintained.

In September 2008 when I cruised aboard her it was hard to believe she was 39 year old and yet very close to the original form as HAMBURG in 1969.

Photographs taken at Funchal on 1 January 2006.

Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY 2006-01-01 at Funchal

MAXIM GORKIY and ALBATROS in Funchal on 1 January 2006. On that day I was able to shot some of my best MAXIM GORKIY photographs ever. Funchal, Madeira Island is a fantastic spot for cruise shipping photography.

Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2006-01-01

MAXIM GORKIY 27 November 2002

MAXIM GORKIY cruising on the river Tagus following another call to Lisbon on 27 November 2002
Copyright photograph by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY 1 January 2006

Another two photographs of MAXIM GORKIY leaving Funchal, Madeira Island on 1 January 2006. Her modern classic lines are displayed here in a very pleasant way.
This ship should have been preserved in Hamburg. What a sad end in the Alang beach only three years after those shots were registered. This is in fact a strange world unable to preserve beauty. So we shall continue to remember this ship here...
See another picture in this series in the bottom end of this blog.
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY in Norway

MAXIM GORKIY cruising in Norwegian waters for the last time in September 2008.
Copyright photographs by Raquel Sabino Pereira. Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY's bow

Raquel Sabino Pereira took this impressive photograph of MAXIM GORKIY's bow from the tender in Geiranger...
Copyright photograph by Raquel Sabini Pereira. Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY in Flam 22-09-2008

MAXIM GORKIY berthed in Flam on 22 September 2008 photographed by Raquel Sabino Pereira.
It is hard to believe that this beautiful ship was on the verge of being sold for breaking up in Alang, India.
Copyright photograph by Raquel Sabino Pereira. Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY 1 January 2006

MAXIM GORKIY leaving Funchal, Madeira Island, on 1 January 2006 while doing her new year's cruise after being repainted in Phoenix Reisen colours
Luís Miguel Correia copyright photograph

MAXIM GORKIY 2006-01-01

MAXIM GORKIY photographed on 1 January 2006 on the Eastern North Atlantic off Funchal, Madeira Island...
Copyright photo by Luís Miguel Correia

In love for the MAXIM GORKIY

Passengers fell in love for the MAXIM GORKIY. The old gentle Lady was dearly missed. Image registered while crossing the North Sea on 25 September 2008.
Luís Miguel Correia copyright photo

At Bremerhaven 26 September 2008

Final call in Bremerhaven on 26 September 2008. MAXIM GORKIY will never return again to German waters.
Luís Miguel Correia copyright photograph

MAXIM GORKIY 1 May 2007

The MAXIM GORKIY underway off the Portuguese coast her bow pointing to Cape Espichel
Luís Miguel Correia copyright photograph

MAXIM GORKIY 4 October 2006

Night is getting closer, everything looks quite on the beautiful former HAMBURG alongside Lisbon in October 2006.
Luís Miguel Correia copyright photograph

MAXIM GORKIY 24 October 2006

The MAXIM GORKIY berthed in Lisbon on 4 October 2006. Just another call of an old and faithful friend to the port of Lisbon. I could not guess at the time how stupid her demise would be...
Photograph by LUIS MIGUEL CORREIA
Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY 27 December 2005

The MAXIM GORKIY
berthed at cais da Rocha,
Lisbon on her
2005 Christmas cruise,
on 27 December 2005.

Copyright photographs by
Luís Miguel Correia

Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAKSIM GORKIY at Funchal, Madeira

The MAKSIM GORKIY at Funchal, Madeira Island, on 31 December 1985 on a New year's cruise under charter to Neckermann.
P&O Cruises CANBERRA can be seen alongside the pier. Photos by Vitor Rodrigues Faria.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM painted by Patrick Gysemberg

The beautiful passenger and cruise liner MAXIM GORKIY ex-HAMBURG (1969-2009) painted by Belgium artist Patrick Gysember. His work can be seen here...

Luís Miguel Correia

My dearest maxim
My lovely designed ship,
When i would not see you again, know this :
It has been an incredible journey,
I do not need to tell you :
Lets be friends,
I do not need to tell you :
Please write to me again,
One day, we have travelled through costa rica by train,
And you have awaited faithfully till we arrived,
At the other end of the ocean,
Yes, this you have always done so brilliantly,
Proud and beautifully and especially so incredibly proud,
I have noticed that you looked secretly into the sea,
To see your reflection and to see
How beautiful you still are after all these years,
If i do not see you any more,
We have grown older, both you and me,
If i do not see you any more, whom would i ever miss?
When you are no longer around,
It is time to say goodbye,
You have known me far to well, my friend,
We both have known this,
One day it is time,
When I do not see you again,
It is hurting me,
Very much indeed,
And so both we die a little,
More and definite,
But know this,
As a little child I ll always be grateful,
Thinking about you,
Dreaming about you,
And I ll see you sail on
Crossing all worlds oceans,
With your graceful front
Proudly facing the oceans wind!
Thank you maxim,
Thank you so much,
And you take care, You hear! Take care!

Patrick Gysemberg painter – artist for a better world

WWW.MYLIFEISART.COM ™

MAXIM GORKIY by Andreas Busecke

The timeless beauty of the MAXIM GORKIY doing her final Norwegian Fjords cruise in September 2008 as registered by the camera of Dr. Andreas Busecke...
Luís Miguel Correia collection

Bridge wing

The Portside bridge wing
of the MAXIM GORKIY
photographed
by Andreas Busecke
on board the beautiful
ex-HAMBURG
on her final visit to Flam,
Norway,
on 22 September 2008.

Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY at sea

Another FotoFlite fine study of the magnificent MAXIM GORKIY in Sovcomflot Russian funnel colours while on charter to Phoenix Reisen.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAKSIM GORKIY in Lisbon 4-10-2006

"One of the few steam cruise ships of the sixties still sailing very much in her original form, the MAKSIM GORKIY ex-HANSEATIC,
ex-HAMBURG still looks modern
despite her 37 years of trading
under three flags:
Germany,
USSR and
the Bahamas..."
This was posted in 2006 and at the time I could not believe the MAXIM GORKIY was so close to the most stupid ending at Alang, India.

Copyright photos by Luís Miguel Correia

MAKSIM GORKIY at sea

The MAKSIM GORKIY in full Black Sea Shipping Company livery in the 1980s cruising past the Dover Straits.
At the time this fine passenger and cruise liner was the proud flagship of the URSS' merchant fleet.
Photograph by Skyfotos of Dover.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

HAMBURG cruising in the Caribbean

Company post card of the HAMBURG in the Caribbean
Luís Miguel Correia collection

MAXIM GORKIY "dead" in Equasis

MAXIM GORKIY reported in Equasis database as a "dead" ship - sold for recycling (scrap). Her final name is not recorded.
What a waste of beauty and history...

T.S. HAMBURG "FATHER"

The man behind the creation of Deutsche Atlantik Linie and the construction of their flagship T.S. HAMBURG was Axel Bitsch-Christensen, Mr ABC, a Danish citizen who played an important role in the rebuilding of the Hamburg passenger ship fleet after WW2 and as HAPAG did not seem to be interested in the creation of a new fleet of their own.
In this photo Mr Bitsch-Christensen is seen on the sports deck of HAMBURG.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

T.S. HAMBURG post cards

T.S. HAMBURG in her original home port of Hamburg. Local post card.
Luís Miguel Correia collection

Captain Yakimov - Final Master of MAXIM GORKIY

"A 60-year old, the last Master of MAXIM GORKIY - Vladimir Prokofyevich YAKIMOV photographed by Alexandr Lazarev in the captain’s cabin during the last trip to Alang.
Captain Yakimov was master of MAKSIM GORKIY since 1998 doing mostly the world cruises. He shared command with Captain Aleksandr Nosko."
Report by Nikolay Prikhodko who kindly provided this group of 9 photos taken on board MAXIM GORKIY's final trip to Alang and destruction.

MAXIM's delivery voyage to Alang

Nikolay Prikhodko comments on the Alexandr Lazarev photo on MAXIM GORKIY:
"The last barbecue on the Maxim deck en route to Alang.
Many of this last trip crew had been working on Maxim for many years. It’s amazing how the crew took care of the vessel until her very last moments.
It’s also significant that the ship was delivered to India not by an interim Indian crew (as usually made) but by her permanent Russian-Ukrainian crew (reduced to 33 members) , who loved the vessel and served there for many years, even if since late January the ship didn’t have any relation to Sovcomflot and was owned by the Indians. Had the ship been delivered by the Indians, we would never have any information and photos of her last sailing".
Photograph by Alexandr Lazarev.