‘After almost destroying our world, our families are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging humanity into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend