Following nearly annihilating the world, the families are allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This occurred after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "Following 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 were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn