‘After almost destroying our planet, our relatives are friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is notable regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend