‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives are friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered closer to ruin more so than ever during recent history. This happened when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around the island. What followed was almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What was Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people detest each other and confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people can be friends or else can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend