Following almost destroying our planet, the families are friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

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

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp