Following almost annihilating the world, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane identified that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days filled with extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat was palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting humanity toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time as it edged towards disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend