Following nearly annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, plunging mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can nations detest each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend