‘After almost annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting civilization toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

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

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp