‘After almost destroying the planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting civilization toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do people detest one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world could watch almost in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn