‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, for 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch nearly in real time while it crept closer to armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend