Following nearly annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet came closer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired after a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to question: "Why do nations detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans can be friends or else can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged closer to disaster. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed our naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, 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 avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn