‘After nearly destroying our planet, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "Why do people detest each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp