‘After almost annihilating the world, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet veered closer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can people detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn