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

In October 1962, humanity veered nearer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn