Following almost destroying the world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement 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 these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle 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. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend