‘After almost destroying our world, our families are allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile sites were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals hate one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend