[1] He graduated from Moscow State University in 1941 with a degree in organic chemistry and served with the Red Army during World War II.

[2] He married Svetlana Alliluyeva in the spring of 1949 "as a matter of hard common sense but without any special love or affection".

In 1950 as the member of Soviet political leadership Zhdanov took active role in the implementation of the national policy of antisemitism.

In his later year while being the Rector of Rostov State University and the Chair of the North-Caucasian Scientific Center of Higher Education he established the atmosphere of ethnic and religious tolerance.

Many Jewish students from different regions of the Soviet Union were coming to Rostov-on-Don knowing that they would be admitted to local colleges and university.