‘After nearly destroying the planet, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting mankind into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people can be allies or else can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn