Following nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin more so than ever during recent history. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly two weeks filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting humanity toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public 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 constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for 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, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn