A cosplayer portrays Himiko Toga from “League of Villains” outside the convention center during Comic-Con International 2022 on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP Photo)

Yushan Ou of China competes on the balance beam at the Women's Team Final during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, November 1, 2022. (Photo by Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Photo)

A few revellers brave the cold and rain in Leeds, United Kingdom for the friday night out on December 30, 2022. Brits have kicked off their New Year’s Eve celebrations early with wild nights out up and down the country. (Photo by Nb press ltd)

Australia's Georgia Wareham (C) celebrates after the dismissal of Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary (not seen) during the Group A T20 women's World Cup cricket match between Australia and Bangladesh at St George's Park in Gqeberha on February 14, 2023. (Photo by Marco Longari/AFP Photo)

People attend the 50th annual NYC Halloween Parade in New York City on October 31, 2023. (Photo by Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

Do you think that history is a science? Well, not exactly. First, and foremost, history is the state's “legend of wars”, it’s official regalia. Of course, public historians are not interested in scientific truth – quite the opposite. In this respect, any attempt to present a state’s history as altruistic and benevolent as possible is welcomed and encouraged – as opposed to any revisionism attempts that may be more accurate. In this matter, Chinese have surpassed us all – they revised in highly creative manner (but rather shamelessly) the technology already invented by Europeans, a process that resulted in oldest state on the planet. Here is an interesting paradox: ask any sinologist about the Middle Kingdom during second century B.C., and he will describe it to you in such a vivid manner as if he has been living there all his life – but as soon as you will ask him to describe Chinese history in the 19-20th centuries… let's say, his eagerness will be greatly diminished. However, we will discuss China in a different article, and in the meantime we will try to understand how exactly historic “legend of wars” is formed and functions – based on a specific and well-known example. A great example is Ferdinand Magellan's first voyage around the world.

A demonstrator jumps from a vehicle of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) during a protest to demand what protesters say is true information from the OSCE about the shelling in Donetsk, Ukraine (since April 2014, the city is the administrative centre of the Donetsk People's Republic), July 23, 2015. The graffiti reads, “Stop moronic war!”. (Photo by Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

A goat named “White On The Right” bleats as it is paraded with other goats prior to a race during the annual Easter goat racing event at the Mount Pleasant recreation ground in Tobago April 6, 2015. (Photo by Andrea De Silva/Reuters)