‘After almost annihilating the planet, the relatives are friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging civilization into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people detest each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend