‘After nearly destroying our planet, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered closer toward ruin more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn