Following almost destroying our world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward ruin more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling the island. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to disaster. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. 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 can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn