‘After almost destroying the world, our families are friends’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend