‘After almost annihilating our world, our families are friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This transpired after a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch almost as it happened while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp