Following almost destroying our world, the families are friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian atomic missile sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting humanity toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn