‘After almost annihilating the planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend