Following nearly destroying our world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. 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 is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

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