‘After nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came closer toward ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging mankind into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel dimension to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch almost in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

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

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn