Following almost destroying the world, our families are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s notable regarding this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp