Soviet cruise liner Maxim Gorkiy – c1980

This is a photo of the soviet cruise liner Maxim Gorkiy which was probably taken in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Ships such as these were part of a fascinating bit of Soviet soft diplomacy. During the 1970s–80s, they were actively marketed as cruises to Western travelers offering a rare, but carefully managed glimpse behind the Iron Curtain, but with surprisingly high standards of comfort.

Maxim Gorkiy later became briefly famous in the West when U2 filmed the music video for “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” aboard her in 1993.