‘After almost destroying our world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired after a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp