The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Kindle Edition is the English-language digital edition of Russian volleyball legend Alexander Savin’s life story. The memoir follows his development from a talented young player to one of the central figures in the Soviet Union’s internationally dominant volleyball team.
Rather than presenting Olympic success as an effortless rise, the book places medals within a larger story involving demanding training, strict coaching, injuries, team relationships, public expectations and personal sacrifice. It also preserves memories of a sporting system and generation that younger volleyball fans may know mainly through statistics and archived footage.
The Kindle edition makes Savin’s story available to English-speaking readers interested in volleyball, Olympic history, Soviet sport and the private experiences behind elite competition.
What the Book Is
The Flying Elephant is an autobiographical sports memoir by Alexander Savin, a former Soviet middle blocker who won Olympic silver in 1976 and Olympic gold in 1980.
The book combines Savin’s personal recollections with stories about teammates, coaches, competitions, training camps and life inside Soviet volleyball. It is not simply an instructional manual or a chronological list of tournament results. Its wider purpose is to explain how a gifted athlete was developed, tested and shaped by one of the most demanding sporting environments of his era.
Amazon identifies Alexander Savin as the author of the Kindle edition. The listed contributors also include Andrei Savine as editor and translator, Julia Savine as editor, and Peter Murphy among the credited participants.
Book Details
The digital edition is sold through Amazon’s Kindle Store under the title The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion.
Available publication information identifies it as an English-language Kindle book released in October 2025. A promotional page associated with the memoir lists a print length of approximately 514 pages and says the edition contains more than 240 archival photographs. It also lists Kindle functions such as Page Flip, Word Wise and enhanced typesetting. Because digital specifications can be changed by the publisher or retailer, readers should confirm the current file details on the Amazon page before purchasing.
The size of the book suggests a detailed memoir rather than a brief motivational account. Its photographic material adds documentary value by showing players, teams and events from a period when sports images were less widely circulated than they are today.
The Author
Alexander, or Aleksandr, Borisovich Savin is a retired Russian volleyball player who represented the Soviet Union.
He was born on July 1, 1957, in Taganrog, then part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. As of July 2026, he is 69 years old. Olympedia records his full competitive name as Aleksandr Borisovich Savin and identifies CSKA Moscow as his club affiliation.
Savin played as a middle blocker, a position requiring fast movement along the net, accurate reading of opposing attacks and the ability to contribute as both a blocker and quick attacker. His reputation was built not only on his size but also on his timing, awareness and unusual mobility.
In 2010, he was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, confirming his lasting status within the sport.
Early Life
Savin was born in Taganrog and later spent part of his childhood in Obninsk. Published biographical accounts state that he began playing volleyball while attending school there and received early coaching from Vladimir Pitanov.
His development eventually led him to CSKA Moscow, one of the Soviet Union’s most successful sports institutions. Moving into that environment meant joining a system built around discipline, competition and technically demanding preparation.
That transition forms an important part of Savin’s story. His later achievements were not produced by height alone. They came from years of repetition, technical correction and competition for a place among exceptional athletes.
The memoir helps connect the famous Olympic champion with the young player who first had to learn, adapt and earn recognition.
Physical Profile
Savin’s official Olympic profile lists him at 200 centimetres, or approximately 6 feet 7 inches, and 97 kilograms, or about 214 pounds, during his competitive career.
He had the tall, powerful frame expected of an elite middle blocker, but contemporary descriptions also emphasised his coordination and ability to remain effective in the air. His athletic identity came from the contrast between physical strength and unexpectedly graceful movement.
Photographs and match recordings show a long-limbed player with dark hair and a commanding presence at the net. Physical appearance, however, explains only part of his success. Savin was admired for his court intelligence, anticipation and ability to choose the right attacking or blocking response under pressure.
Olympic Career
Savin competed at two Olympic Games and earned a medal at both.
At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he played in all five Soviet matches. The Soviet Union reached the final but was defeated by Poland in a closely contested five-set match, leaving Savin and his teammates with the silver medal.
That loss became part of the team’s motivation during the following four-year cycle. The Soviet squad won major international competitions before arriving at the 1980 Moscow Games as one of the strongest teams in the world.
At the 1980 Olympics, Savin again appeared in every match. The Soviet Union advanced through the tournament and defeated Bulgaria 3–1 in the final, earning the gold medal in front of a home audience.
His Olympic record therefore consists of one silver medal and one gold medal, achieved across eleven matches.
Major Achievements
Savin’s career extended well beyond his two Olympic appearances.
Olympedia records six European Championship gold medals, earned in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985. It also lists World Championship gold medals in 1978 and 1982, followed by a silver medal in 1986.
He was also part of the Soviet teams that won the FIVB World Cup in 1977 and 1981. His sustained success shows that he was not associated with a single memorable tournament. He remained part of an elite international programme for more than a decade.
Among his honours were the Soviet title Honoured Master of Sports, the Order of the Badge of Honour and the Order of Friendship of Peoples. His 2010 Hall of Fame induction later gave his international legacy formal recognition.
The Meaning of the Title
The title The Flying Elephant reflects the unusual combination of qualities that made Savin memorable.
“Elephant” suggests size, strength and physical weight. “Flying” suggests elevation, lightness and graceful movement. Together, the words describe an athlete who was imposing at the net but capable of moving and jumping with surprising control.
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame has also used the nickname when discussing Savin’s powerful style and exceptional hang time.
The title is effective because it is both affectionate and descriptive. It avoids the conventional language often used in sports biographies while communicating the physical contrast at the centre of Savin’s playing identity.
It may also function as a broader metaphor for exceeding expectations. A very tall athlete might have been assumed to be slow or mechanically limited, yet Savin’s movement challenged those assumptions.
What the Memoir Covers
The memoir follows Savin’s journey through childhood, athletic development, club competition and international volleyball.
It discusses the pressure of representing the Soviet Union, relationships between players and coaches, the demands of constant training and the emotional consequences of major victories and defeats. The 1976 Olympic loss and the 1980 triumph naturally provide important reference points, but the book’s scope appears to be much wider than those two tournaments.
The memoir also pays attention to other people. Team sport is rarely shaped by a single athlete, and Savin’s account preserves the personalities, methods and contributions of teammates and coaches who helped define his era.
According to Andrei Savine, the English translation developed into a family project intended to preserve the history of Savin’s generation. He has described the work as a way of reconnecting with his half-brother while learning about the people who shared Alexander’s sporting life.
Soviet Volleyball
One of the book’s strongest potential attractions is its perspective on Soviet-era elite sport.
The Soviet sports system was highly organised and placed successful athletes within specialised clubs, national-team structures and intensive training programmes. Players operated under significant pressure because international victories carried cultural and political meaning in addition to sporting importance.
Savin’s account offers a participant’s view rather than an outside historical summary. Readers can consider what the system gave athletes—coaching, preparation, competitive opportunities and institutional support—alongside what it demanded from them.
This makes the memoir relevant not only to volleyball fans but also to readers studying the relationship between sport, government, identity and Cold War history.
Personal Sacrifice
Olympic medals are usually remembered through podium photographs and national celebrations. Memoirs can reveal what those images leave out.
Elite athletes surrender considerable control over their schedules. Training, travel, recovery and selection decisions influence education, relationships and family life. An athlete may spend years preparing for an event decided in a few matches.
The Flying Elephant places success within this less glamorous reality. Its value lies partly in showing that sporting greatness involves uncertainty, fatigue and emotional pressure as well as talent.
Readers may find the account encouraging, but it should not be reduced to a simple message about working harder. Savin’s career also demonstrates the importance of coaching, team structure, opportunity, health and institutional conditions.
Teamwork and Leadership
Volleyball depends on coordination. Even an outstanding attacker cannot control the first pass, set and defensive coverage alone.
Savin played in teams containing numerous accomplished athletes, and his success was connected to a system in which each player had a defined responsibility. The memoir therefore offers lessons about trust, role acceptance and group preparation.
For coaches, the book may prompt questions about how demanding standards can be balanced with respect for athletes. For players, it highlights the need to contribute consistently even when individual recognition is limited.
Its leadership lessons come through experience rather than abstract formulas. Readers see how people respond to setbacks, pressure and shared expectations inside an elite team.
Life After Competition
Savin later moved into coaching after his playing career. Volleyball databases list coaching work with clubs including Rassvet Moscow and Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk.
The transition from athlete to coach is significant because performing a skill and teaching it are different responsibilities. Former champions must learn to communicate, assess players and adapt their knowledge to new generations.
The memoir’s later sections can therefore interest coaches as well as athletes. Savin’s perspective is informed by both sides of the relationship: he experienced strict instruction as a developing player and later became responsible for guiding others.
His continued connection to volleyball also helps explain why his memories have historical value. They come from someone who observed the sport across several roles and periods.
Kindle Edition Features
The Kindle format offers several practical benefits.
Readers can carry the lengthy memoir without handling a large printed volume. Depending on their Kindle device or application, they may adjust the font, background, line spacing and text size. Highlighting and note-taking functions are useful for coaches, sports researchers and readers collecting significant passages.
The Kindle edition may also be read on supported phones, tablets, computers and Kindle devices. Availability and synchronisation depend on the reader’s Amazon account, region and device compatibility.
Word Wise and Page Flip are listed as supported features on promotional publication information, although buyers should verify the currently displayed Amazon specifications.
The extensive photographic content is a benefit, but the viewing experience may be better on a larger colour screen than on a small monochrome e-reader.
Benefits for Readers
The book offers several kinds of value.
For volleyball players, it provides a long-term view of development and competitive pressure. coaches, it presents experiences shaped by training methods, tactical responsibility and team management. For Olympic enthusiasts, it adds a personal voice to two important Games.
Historians may appreciate its descriptions of Soviet institutions and international sport. General readers can connect with its broader subjects: ambition, disappointment, ageing, identity and the challenge of redefining life after a celebrated career.
Its greatest benefit is access to a first-person sporting memory that might otherwise remain unavailable to English-language audiences.
Because it is a memoir, readers should remember that events are presented through Savin’s perspective. Personal testimony is valuable, but it is not identical to an independent historical record.
Intended Audience
The Flying Elephant is especially suitable for:
- Volleyball players and coaches
- Olympic and sports-history readers
- Fans of athlete autobiographies
- Readers interested in Soviet society
- Students examining performance and leadership
- Former athletes reflecting on life after competition
Readers do not need advanced volleyball knowledge to understand the central story. Familiarity with the sport may make tactical and team-related details more meaningful, but the memoir’s human themes extend beyond the court.
The length may be demanding for casual readers seeking only a brief career summary. Those wanting a substantial account with archival material are more likely to appreciate its scale.
Family and Personal Life
Reliable public information about Savin’s private family life is limited, and that privacy should be respected.
Andrei Savine has publicly described Alexander as his half-brother and explained that translating the memoir became a personal effort to reconnect and preserve family and sporting history. He also credited collaborators, including his wife, during the English-language project.
A volleyball database lists Russian player Sergey Savin as Alexander’s son, but this information is not as strongly documented as Savin’s Olympic record. It should therefore be treated cautiously rather than repeated as a fully verified biographical fact.
The memoir itself is likely the most appropriate source for Savin’s account of family relationships and their effect on his career.
Final Verdict
The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Kindle Edition is a substantial sports autobiography centred on Alexander Savin’s life, Olympic career and experience within Soviet volleyball.
Its appeal comes from the combination of personal testimony, major sporting history and archival material. Readers encounter not only a celebrated middle blocker but also the training culture, relationships and sacrifices surrounding his achievements.
The Kindle edition offers portability, searchable text and adjustable reading settings, although photographs will generally look better on a larger screen.
This book is most valuable for volleyball supporters, athletes, coaches and readers of Olympic history. It is also relevant to anyone interested in how public achievement affects private identity.
Savin’s verified profile is remarkable: born in 1957, two metres tall, Olympic silver medallist, Olympic champion, two-time world champion and Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee. His finances and much of his family life remain private, so unsupported claims about those areas should be avoided.
FAQs
What is The Flying Elephant about?
It is Alexander Savin’s memoir about becoming an elite Soviet volleyball player, competing at two Olympics and experiencing the training, relationships and sacrifices behind international success.
Who wrote The Flying Elephant?
The book is authored by Olympic volleyball champion Alexander Savin. The English edition credits contributors involved in editing and translation, including Andrei Savine and Julia Savine.
Why was Alexander Savin called The Flying Elephant?
The nickname reflected his unusual combination of size and graceful movement. At two metres tall, he was physically imposing but also known for his jumping ability, timing and mobility.
Is the Kindle edition suitable for non-volleyball readers?
Yes. Volleyball fans will understand more of the competitive details, but the themes of discipline, teamwork, defeat, ambition and personal identity are accessible to general sports readers.
What Olympic medals did Alexander Savin win?
He won silver at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a member of the Soviet men’s volleyball team.
