‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives are friends’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came closer toward annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian atomic missile bases were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend