Following nearly destroying the world, the families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to question: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp