Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin more so than ever in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting mankind into total ruination.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend