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

During October 1962, the planet veered nearer to annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend