‘After almost destroying our planet, our relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came closer toward ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people detest each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be allies or else can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend