Following almost annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world came nearer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired when an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days of impossible anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, casting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel dimension into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people detest each other and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 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. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn