Following almost destroying our planet, the families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting humanity toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

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

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "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."

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

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp