‘After almost annihilating our world, our families have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp