Following nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world came nearer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened after an American surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic missile sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

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

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest one another and confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend