‘After almost destroying our planet, our families have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn