Following almost destroying our world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept closer to armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend