Following almost destroying the world, our relatives are allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp