Following almost annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of global relations.

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

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, 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 things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn