‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This transpired when a US surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp