Following almost annihilating our planet, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged closer to destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile installations were being built in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, 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 Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp