Following almost destroying our world, the relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This happened when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

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

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend