‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This happened when an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, casting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch almost as it happened as it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn