Following nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity edged nearer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved closer to armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because 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 don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp