‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States 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, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn