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

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization toward total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch almost in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend