‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. However, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp