‘After almost annihilating the planet, our families have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered closer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired when an American surveillance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

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

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate each other to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would 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.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp