Following nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented extensively, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

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

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend