‘After nearly destroying our world, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired after an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend