‘After nearly destroying our planet, the families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through books, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend