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

During October 1962, the planet veered nearer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired when an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel element into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp