‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

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

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due 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 that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp