Following nearly destroying the planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that humans can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp