‘After nearly destroying our planet, the relatives are allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend