Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it crept closer to disaster. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would 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 first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp