Following nearly destroying our world, our families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat was palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting humanity into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

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

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn