‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction than at any other point in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented element into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it moved towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation 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 the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp