‘After nearly destroying the planet, the families have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was Washington thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do nations hate one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned 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 crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn