Following nearly annihilating our planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "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 avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp