‘After almost destroying our world, the families have become friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came closer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch almost as it happened while it crept closer to disaster. However, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn