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

In October 1962, the planet came closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This transpired when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp