Following nearly annihilating our world, the families are allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can nations detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn