Following almost annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new element into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn