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

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This transpired after an American surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've sunk the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp