‘After nearly destroying the world, our families are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity came closer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred after an American reconnaissance plane identified that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting humanity into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it edged towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp