‘After almost destroying the world, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This happened after an American surveillance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of impossible anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp