Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world edged closer toward annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate one another and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend