‘After almost destroying our world, our relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer to annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting humanity into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

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

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn