Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to ruin more so than ever during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp