‘After almost destroying our planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened after an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it crept closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn