‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the families have become friends’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can nations detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," 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."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp