Following nearly annihilating our planet, our families have become friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet came nearer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks filled with impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn