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

During the month of October 1962, the world came closer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging mankind into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn