Following nearly annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting civilization into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR to 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 optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn