‘After nearly annihilating the world, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being built on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, casting humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels and sunk America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp