‘After nearly destroying our planet, the families are friends’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to destruction than at any other point in recent history. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade around the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend