Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world came nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn