The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Alexander Savin presents the career of Aleksandr Borisovich Savin, the Soviet volleyball player who won Olympic silver at Montreal 1976 and Olympic gold at Moscow 1980. Savin was born on July 1, 1957, in Taganrog, Russia. He reached a height of 200 cm and competed as a middle blocker for the Soviet Union.
The memoir brings together Savin’s sporting experiences, Olympic memories, international competitions, club career and life around Soviet volleyball. The English edition also gives readers outside the Russian-speaking world access to his personal account.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Alexander Savin’s Early Life
Aleksandr Savin was born in Taganrog during the Soviet period. His family later moved to Obninsk, where volleyball became an important part of his youth.
His physical size suited the demands of elite indoor volleyball, particularly the middle-blocker position. At 200 cm tall, Savin had the reach required for blocking and attacking close to the net.
His career eventually brought him to CSKA Moscow, one of the major sporting organizations in the Soviet Union. He also earned a place on the Soviet national team, giving him an opportunity to compete at major international tournaments.
Some core details from his sporting record are shown below:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Aleksandr Borisovich Savin |
| Birth date | July 1, 1957 |
| Birthplace | Taganrog, Russia |
| Height | 200 cm |
| Weight | 97 kg |
| Sport | Indoor volleyball |
| Position | Middle blocker |
| National team | Soviet Union |
| Olympic Games | 1976 and 1980 |
| Olympic medals | 1 silver, 1 gold |
| Major club | CSKA Moscow |
| Hall of Fame induction | 2010 |
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Savin’s Volleyball Position
Savin competed as a middle blocker, a position requiring height, timing, jumping ability, fast reactions and strong net defense.
A middle blocker has to react to opposing attacks, read the setter’s movements and coordinate blocking assignments with teammates. Savin’s physical reach gave him useful tools for this role.
His career also shows how Soviet volleyball developed highly specialized athletes for international competition. His club career with CSKA Moscow provided an important foundation for his national-team work.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the 1976 Montreal Olympics
Savin made his Olympic debut at the 1976 Montreal Games.
The Soviet men’s volleyball team performed strongly during the tournament. The squad defeated Italy, Bulgaria and Japan during pool competition before advancing to the knockout stage.
The Soviet Union then defeated Cuba in the semifinal and reached the gold-medal match against Poland.
Poland won the final 3–2, giving Savin and the Soviet team Olympic silver.
For Savin, Montreal marked his first Olympic medal. The result also gave him valuable experience at the highest level of international volleyball.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the Road to Moscow
The years after Montreal brought more major titles for Savin and the Soviet national team.
His international career included success at European, world and World Cup competitions. The Soviet team won the 1977 European Championship, the 1977 FIVB World Cup and the 1978 FIVB World Championship.
Savin also won another European Championship title in 1979.
Major achievements from this period are listed below:
- Olympic silver medal in 1976
- European Championship gold in 1977
- FIVB World Cup gold in 1977
- FIVB World Championship gold in 1978
- European Championship gold in 1979
- Olympic gold in 1980
These results formed an important part of Savin’s international playing career.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the 1980 Moscow Olympics
The 1980 Moscow Olympics gave Savin his Olympic championship.
The Soviet Union opened the men’s volleyball competition with a 3–1 victory over Czechoslovakia. The team later defeated Italy, Bulgaria and Cuba during pool play.
The Soviet side then defeated Romania in the semifinal.
The gold-medal match brought the Soviet Union against Bulgaria. The Soviet team won 3–1 and claimed Olympic gold on home soil.
Savin therefore left the 1980 Olympics with a gold medal after previously taking silver at Montreal.
His Olympic medal record can be summarized simply:
| Olympic Games | Host city | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Montreal | Silver |
| 1980 | Moscow | Gold |
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Soviet Volleyball
Savin’s career developed during one of the strongest periods in Soviet men’s volleyball.
The Soviet Union had a major presence in international volleyball, and Savin became part of a national squad that collected titles across several major competitions.
His career covered a period of intense competition across Europe and the wider international volleyball scene.
His major national-team achievements can be listed as:
- 1976 Olympic silver
- 1977 European Championship
- 1977 FIVB World Cup
- 1978 FIVB World Championship
- 1979 European Championship
- 1980 Olympic gold
This collection of medals places his Olympic career within a much broader international record.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the English Edition
The English edition of The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion gives English-speaking readers access to Savin’s memoir.
Reports about the English release describe a translation project connected with Savin’s family, including his half-brother Andrei Savine.
The English edition has been presented in Kindle format, giving readers another way to access Savin’s memories and his experiences from Soviet volleyball.
| Book Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion |
| Author | Alexander Savin |
| Original language | Russian |
| English format | Kindle edition |
| Reported release | October 2025 |
| Reported length | Around 514 pages |
| Photographic material | More than 240 photographs |
| Main subject | Savin’s volleyball career and Olympic experiences |
Edition details can vary between publishing platforms, so readers should check the specific listing for the version they plan to purchase.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the Book’s Photographs
The English edition has been described as containing more than 240 photographs.
Archival sports photographs can add valuable visual material to a memoir covering an earlier generation of international athletes. Images from matches, teams, training environments and sporting events can give additional background to Savin’s memories.
For readers interested in volleyball history, this visual material may provide another way to view the era surrounding Savin’s career.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Savin’s Hall of Fame Honor
Savin was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2010 as a male indoor volleyball player.
His Hall of Fame profile records his Olympic achievements and international championship results.
His major honors cover several different levels of volleyball:
- Olympic champion
- Olympic silver medalist
- World champion
- World Cup champion
- European champion
- International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee
The 2010 Hall of Fame honor added another distinction to his international volleyball career.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Savin’s Club Career
Savin’s career was also connected with CSKA Moscow.
CSKA was a major Soviet sports organization, and its volleyball program produced elite players for domestic and international competition.
Savin spent a substantial portion of his playing career with the club. His club experience worked alongside his national-team career, allowing him to compete at both domestic and international levels.
After his playing career, Savin also moved into coaching roles. Records of his later volleyball work connect him with teams such as Rassvet Moscow and Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Savin’s International Career
Savin’s international career extended well beyond two Olympic tournaments.
His medal collection covered European championships, world-level competition and the FIVB World Cup.
The following table gives a simple overview:
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1976 | Silver |
| European Championship | 1977 | Gold |
| FIVB World Cup | 1977 | Gold |
| FIVB World Championship | 1978 | Gold |
| European Championship | 1979 | Gold |
| Olympic Games | 1980 | Gold |
The sequence shows how his international career developed from an Olympic silver medal in Montreal toward a championship at Moscow four years later.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and the Meaning of the Title
The title The Flying Elephant creates an obvious connection between Savin’s large physical presence and the movement required in volleyball.
At 200 cm tall, Savin had the size associated with a powerful front-row player. Volleyball also demands fast movement, jumping, precise positioning and quick reactions.
Available publishing material does not provide enough evidence to assign one definitive personal explanation to every part of the title. It is therefore better to treat interpretations of the phrase separately from confirmed biographical information.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs as a Sports Memoir
The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Alexander Savin combines personal memories with a documented sporting career.
Official Olympic records provide information about Savin’s medals and tournament participation. His memoir adds a personal perspective around those sporting experiences.
The book may appeal to readers interested in:
- Olympic volleyball
- Soviet sports history
- International volleyball tournaments
- CSKA Moscow
- Elite athletic careers
- Volleyball training and competition
- Russian sports memoirs
- Olympic champions
- Archival sports photography
The combination of personal material and documented sporting achievements gives the book relevance beyond a simple medal record.
The Flying Elephant Memoirs and Savin’s Olympic Legacy
Savin competed at two Olympic Games and won a medal at both.
His first appearance resulted in silver at Montreal in 1976. Four years later, he became an Olympic champion at Moscow in 1980.
His career also featured major international titles, club volleyball and later coaching work.
His Olympic medal record remains one of the easiest ways to summarize his international career:
| Achievement | Total |
|---|---|
| Olympic gold medals | 1 |
| Olympic silver medals | 1 |
| Olympic bronze medals | 0 |
| Olympic appearances | 2 |
| International Volleyball Hall of Fame induction | 2010 |
The Flying Elephant Memoirs: Main Details at a Glance
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book | The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion |
| Athlete | Aleksandr Borisovich Savin |
| Sport | Volleyball |
| Position | Middle blocker |
| Height | 200 cm |
| Birthplace | Taganrog, Russia |
| Olympic debut | Montreal 1976 |
| First Olympic medal | Silver |
| Olympic championship | Moscow 1980 |
| Olympic gold medals | 1 |
| Olympic silver medals | 1 |
| Major club | CSKA Moscow |
| Hall of Fame | International Volleyball Hall of Fame |
| Induction year | 2010 |
| English edition | Kindle |
The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Alexander Savin: Final Takeaway
The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion Alexander Savin focuses on a Soviet volleyball career that reached two Olympic podiums.
Savin won silver at Montreal 1976 and gold at Moscow 1980. His career also featured European Championship titles, a FIVB World Cup title and a FIVB World Championship title.
His 200 cm height and middle-blocker position made him a natural fit for elite volleyball, while his work with CSKA Moscow and the Soviet national team placed him within a major period of international competition.
His induction into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2010 added another honor to his career.
For readers researching Alexander Savin, the most firmly documented details are his two Olympic medals, his 1980 Olympic championship, his international titles, his CSKA Moscow career and his Hall of Fame status.