Following nearly destroying the planet, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction than at any other point during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, casting mankind toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest one another and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 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," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend