‘After nearly destroying the planet, our relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What were the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn