‘After nearly destroying the planet, the families have become friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel element to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate each other and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it edged towards disaster. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it 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, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp