‘After almost destroying our planet, the families have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do nations detest one another and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn