Following nearly destroying our planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane identified that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks of extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting humanity into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend