‘After almost destroying our world, the families are allies’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting humanity toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people detest each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend