‘After almost annihilating our world, our families have become friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This happened when a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. However, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend