‘After almost destroying our planet, our families have become allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend