Following nearly destroying our world, our families are allies’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or else can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp