‘After nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world edged closer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost two weeks of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, casting humanity into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time as it crept closer to armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared 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

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn