‘After nearly destroying the planet, our families are friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer to annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 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 unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend