‘After almost destroying our world, our families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension to the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest one another and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn