Following almost annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This happened when a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting humanity into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend