‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane found that Russian atomic missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the American side thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time as it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend