The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion is Alexander Savin’s account of his life in volleyball, translated from Russian into English and released as a Kindle edition. Savin represented the Soviet Union, winning Olympic silver at Montreal in 1976 and gold at Moscow in 1980.
The memoir covers the people and places surrounding his sporting career, including teammates, coaches and the volleyball community in Obninsk. For readers considering the English edition, its main appeal is that personal perspective on Soviet-era sport.
Who Is Alexander Savin?
Alexander Savin is the volleyball player identified as Aleksandr Borisovich Savin by the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. The different English spellings refer to the same athlete.
His Olympic debut came at Montreal in 1976. The Soviet team reached the final but lost to Poland in five sets, earning silver. Four years later, Savin played in all six Soviet matches at the Moscow Olympics, where the team defeated Bulgaria in the final to win gold.
His international achievements also included the 1977 World Cup and the 1978 World Championship. The International Volleyball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2010.
These results establish the sporting background to the memoir. The book’s subject, however, extends beyond the competitions themselves.
What Does The Flying Elephant Cover?
Contemporary Russian coverage describes the original book as an account of Savin’s sporting journey, his CSKA teammates and people who helped shape volleyball in Obninsk.
In a January 2024 interview with NG-Region, Savin explained that much of the book concerned Obninsk. He wanted to convey the atmosphere in which he grew up and began playing sport, along with memories of people close to him.
That local emphasis gives readers useful context. The memoir connects an internationally successful athlete with the community and coaches behind his development.
Alfredo Cabero, who worked on the book project, offers another view of its contents. In his account, Savin’s recollections include attitudes towards sport in the Soviet Union, impressions of South American supporters and observations about American sporting events.
These are personal recollections from a participant in that era. Readers interested in sports history can approach them alongside official competition records, which serve a different purpose.
How the English Kindle Edition Came Together
The English translation grew from a family project. In a public account, Andrei Savine described Alexander as his half-brother and explained that their effort to reconnect developed into translating The Flying Elephant.
Andrei worked with Alfredo Cabero and Ioulia Soudakova. He described spending more than a year on the project and becoming familiar with the teammates, coaches and friends appearing in Alexander’s memories.
Cabero independently confirmed the English Kindle release in January 2026. He also explained a particular translation challenge: Russian sayings and expressions sometimes needed interpretation before they could be conveyed clearly in English.
The project included photographic material. Andrei mentioned archival photographs, while Cabero said he contributed archive images to the Russian edition and helped obtain messages from players who had competed against Savin.
How to Find the Correct Kindle Edition
Use the complete title and author’s name when searching the Kindle Store:
- Title: The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion
- Author: Alexander Savin
- Language: English
- Format: Kindle edition
- Amazon product identifier, or ASIN: B0FXVDWW16
Both Andrei Savine and Alfredo Cabero shared Amazon links containing that identifier when discussing the English edition. It provides a useful way to distinguish the memoir from unrelated works with similar titles.
Before buying, check the listing available to your account for the price, language, supported reading options and any Kindle Unlimited offer. If a sample is available, use it to assess the translation and how the photographs display on your preferred device.
Who Is This Memoir For?
The book is most relevant to readers interested in volleyball history, Olympic competition and personal accounts of Soviet sport. Its attention to teammates, coaches and Obninsk also makes it a useful title to consider for those interested in how sporting communities develop athletes.
Readers seeking a short summary of Savin’s medals can find that information in his Hall of Fame biography. The reason to consider the memoir is its account of the people, memories and sporting culture surrounding those results.
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