‘After almost annihilating our planet, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained clear. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting mankind into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch almost in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend