Following nearly destroying the planet, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time as it crept towards disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, 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, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp