Following almost destroying our world, the families have become allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, casting mankind into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it moved closer to disaster. However, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp