‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity veered nearer to destruction than at any other point during recent history. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting humanity into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp