‘After nearly destroying our world, our families have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet came closer toward annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days of impossible anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the United States considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it moved towards armageddon. However, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend