Following almost annihilating the planet, our families have become friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This transpired after a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting civilization into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend