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

In October 1962, the world veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it edged closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp