‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened after a US surveillance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel perspective into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains 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 side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

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

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend