Following almost destroying the world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This happened after an American surveillance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting humanity into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn