‘After nearly destroying our world, the families are friends’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp