Following almost destroying the world, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or can become total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend