‘After nearly destroying the planet, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch almost in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp