Zhdanov was probably the only USSR official after Lenin that realized the importance of mass media, role culture plays in class war on global scale and the fact socialism is under constant and relentless attack from capitalists powers via its extensive propaganda apparatus disguised in myriad ways. He devised the doctrine (called “Zhdanov Docrine”) to counteract this, but it wasn’t implemented.
History vindicated him because it is precisely this cultural and propaganda invasion that was one of main reasons socialism was destroyed in Europe and almost destroyed everywhere else and the attempts did not ceased for even a moment. DPRK cultural politics and things like Chinese great firewall are similar policies, not only sorely needed but China (as the only country in position to do so) need to also go on the offensive.