‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward ruin more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days filled with extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn