Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting civilization into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do people hate each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or else can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend