Following nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered nearer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired after a US surveillance plane found that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around the island. What followed constituted nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting humanity into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel dimension to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can nations detest each other and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to disaster. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn