‘After almost annihilating our world, our families are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired when an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were Washington thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it edged towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend