Following almost annihilating our planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came nearer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This transpired after an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging civilization toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn