‘After almost annihilating the world, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting civilization toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel dimension into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to 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 sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp