🔗 Share this article ‘After nearly destroying our planet, our relatives are allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants. During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This transpired after an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme tension. The Catastrophic Threat The threat remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new element into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp. "What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs. For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?" "I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare." A Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s remarkable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet." The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of events. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive." Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States." An Unprecedented Collaboration This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope. "We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp
During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This transpired after an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme tension. The Catastrophic Threat The threat remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new element into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp. "What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs. For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?" "I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare." A Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s remarkable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet." The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of events. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive." Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States." An Unprecedented Collaboration This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope. "We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp