Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn