‘After almost destroying our world, our families have become friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world edged closer to destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting mankind into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

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

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations detest each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn