‘After nearly destroying our planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series involving global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate one another and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp