Following nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred after an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting civilization toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals detest each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time as it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp