Following nearly destroying our planet, the relatives are friends’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity edged closer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This happened after an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic missile sites were being built on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers 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. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp