Following nearly destroying our world, our relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This happened when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was almost 14 days of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend