‘After nearly annihilating the world, the families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, plunging mankind into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the American side thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp