‘After almost destroying the planet, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days filled with unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting civilization toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"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," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp