‘After almost annihilating our planet, the families are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What was Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp