‘After almost destroying the world, our families have become friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around the island. What followed was nearly two weeks of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting humanity into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, 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 everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp