‘After nearly destroying the world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he 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 are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend