‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp