Following almost destroying our planet, the families are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered nearer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting humanity into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel perspective to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do people hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend