‘After nearly destroying the world, the families have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came closer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted almost a fortnight filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting humanity toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

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

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be allies or can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend