‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer to destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired after an American reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being assembled 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. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting humanity into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

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

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp