Following almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This happened when an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend