‘After almost annihilating our world, the families are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world came nearer toward destruction than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile installations were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn