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

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend