Following almost destroying the world, our relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet came nearer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This transpired when an American surveillance plane identified that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

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

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend