‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This occurred after an American reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp