‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained clear. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp