Following almost destroying the world, our relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

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

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do people detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn