‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves 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