‘After nearly destroying the planet, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world came closer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic missile installations were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were the American side planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend