‘After nearly destroying the world, our families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate one another and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn