Following almost destroying the planet, our relatives are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane identified that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being built on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "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," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn