‘After nearly destroying our planet, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade around the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel element to the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp