‘After almost annihilating the world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This happened when an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or else can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend