‘After almost destroying the world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward destruction than at any other point during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged closer to disaster. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view would not be held 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."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn