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

During the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was almost a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations detest one another and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is notable about this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend