Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives are friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved towards disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend