Following almost annihilating our planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer to ruin more so than ever during recent history. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb 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 comprehend