‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened when an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do people hate one another and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it edged towards disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend