‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after 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 time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is 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 the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp