‘After nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity came closer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting humanity toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or can become complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp