Following almost annihilating the planet, the relatives are friends’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting humanity toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp