‘After almost annihilating our planet, the relatives are friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile installations were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other and go against 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 complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend