‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives are friends’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction than at any other point during modern times. This happened when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was almost a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting civilization into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can people hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that people can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time as it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp