Following almost annihilating the world, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened when a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend