‘After almost destroying our world, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened after an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

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

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn