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.

Crossing the Red Sea to Alang

Nikolay Prikhodko says it all: "An evening in the warm Red Sea air on February 15, 2009 on Maxim’s open deck, where the crew had the evening meal.
The atmosphere is so lively, unbelievably its only 8 days until her end."
Photograph by Alexandr Lazarev

Arriving at Alang 21 February 2009

Nikolay Prikhodko says it all: "the map shows the vessel on the Alang outer roadstead, arriving there on Feb-21"
Alexandr Lazarev photo taken on board the MAXIM GORKIY.

Final name change off Alang

Alexandr Lazarev photographed the final renaming of MAXIM GORKIY while the ship lay at the Alang roadstead awaiting beaching.
The name board over the sides near the ship's bridge was carefully modified, showing the great care of her Russian dedicated final crew until the very end.
Image and information kindly sent by Nikolay Prikhodko.

MAXIM M - Basseterre off Alang

While at anchor off Alang the MAXIM GORKIY was renamed MAXIM M and registered in St. Kitts and Nevis , her final port of registry being Basseterre.
MAXIM's dedicated Russian crew of 33 included one veteran engineer from the original Russian crew who took delivery of the HANSEATIC ex-HAMBURG in Hamburg in January 1974. 35 years earlier.
They kept their beloved ship in pristine condition until the very end.
Photograph by MAXIM GORKIY's crew member Alexandr Lazarev, February 2009.

Full speed ahead into the beach

Dramatic image of the final moments of the MAXIM GORKIY already under her final name of MAXIM M:
"Her last turn from the Alang inner roadstead and the way to the very end, in the warm night of Feb 25, 04-12 am. (Indian time) everything was over. Its GMT + 4.30. So, Maxim was beached on Feb 24, 23-42 (central European time). In Portugal it was 22-42." says Nikolay Prikhodko.
Photograph taken on board the MAXIM M on 25 February 2009 off Alang by Alexandr Lazarev.

MAXIM's crew after beaching their beloved flagship

The MAXIM M has just been beached in Alang as Nikolay Prikhodko comments the image:
"sad faces. The navigation crew leaves the bridge after beaching. One of the last photos on the ship. Russian officers in Alang. The history is over."
Photograph by Alexandr Lazarev taken in Alang on board the MAXIM M.

Last view from MAXIM's bridge

Nikolay Prikhodko writes:
"The last view from Maxim’s bridge. It’s Alang at night and her last pier.
It looks like she arrived here only for one day to have a look and soon she will leave to her lovers and new destinations. It will be!!, it has already started that night, a never-ending voyage to the history of the world passenger fleet and to the memories of all people who traveled on her, because she is forever in their hearts as the best Russian passenger liner ever in the seven seas"
Photograph taken by Alexandr Lazarev at Alang, India, on 25 February 2009. The MAXIM M has just been beached. What a shame.

HAMBURG at Leixões (Oporto)

A rare photograph of the brand new HAMBURG docking at Leixões (Oporto), Portugal.
Photo by FOTOMAR kindly sent by my dear friend Reinaldo from the NAVIOS e NAVEGADORES Portuguese Shipping excellent blog.
Two Portuguese cargo liners can be seen in the photos, Cia. Colonial PORTO (left) and Cia. Nacional NACALA (right).
Luís Miguel Correia collection

Scenic cruising on Geirangerfjord 23-09-2008

A beautiful steamship cruising the fjords on 23 September 2008: the MAXIM GORKIY towards the very end.
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY in Flam 22-09-2008

The MAXIM GORKIY alongside the cruise ship berth in Flam on her final call.
Copyright photograph by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY at Flam 22-09-2008

The distinctive MAXIM GORKIY funnel framed by Flam's green landscape

Copyright photo by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY final Fjords cruise 20 to 26-09-2008

On 20 September 2008 the MAXIM GORKIY sailed from Bremerhaven on her final cruise to Norway and the Fjords, steaming up through the North Sea towards a sunny port of Bergen, Alesund, Vik, Sognefjord, Flam, Aurlandsfjord, Geiranger and Geirangerfjord...
On 26 September the GORKIY berthed at Bremerhaven for her last time, turning around and departing for the Mediterranean and the very last Phoenix Reisen cruises on the former HAMBURG.
Copyright photos by Luís Miguel Correia

MAXIM GORKIY September 2008

The HAMBURG / MAXIM GORKIY was a very special ship and I was lucky to have followed all her career from the maiden cruise to South America in 1969 up to the sad end in Alang.
Probably I would prefer not to see what is on the pipeline in terms of photographs depicting her destruction at the scrap yard, and feel much better looking at her many images including those taken in September 2008 when it was supposed she still had a few years trading as MARCO POLO II.
Copyright photographs Luís Miguel Correia

HAMBURG in the USA

Close up photograph of the HAMBURG berthed in a US port, possibly New York or San Francisco, a she was based in California in 1971 and 1972. Foto kindly sent by Nikolay Prikhodko.
Luís Miguel Correia collection