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

In October 1962, the planet came closer toward ruin more so than ever during modern times. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that people can be allies or else can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp