Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives are allies’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world came closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can people hate one another and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is notable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time while it edged towards disaster. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

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

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn