‘After nearly annihilating our world, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer toward ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when an American surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp