Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired after a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged towards disaster. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn