Overall winner: The Art of Flight by Alwin Hardenbol (University of Eastern Finland). A panning shot of a Dalmatian pelican in flight. The picture was taken on Lake Kerkini in Greece. (Photo by Alwin Hardenbol/2020 British Ecological Society Photography Competition)

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.

Photographer David Emitt Adams creates tintypes on discarded cans he collects from the Sonoran Desert. In his artist statement, Adams says that some are more than four decades old, which have earned a deep reddish-brown, rusty coloration. (Photo by David Emitt Adams)

Adele Clark, aged 8, looks at an animatronic Gallimimus dinosaur at the Natural History Museum on April 20, 2011 in London, England. The Age of the Dinosaur is a summer exhibition combining animatronic models, fossils and CGI film footage. (Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images)

International film actress Gillian Anderson pictured on the rooftop of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel overlooking Red Square in a British Airways Business Class seat to launch the British Airways long haul service on the London – Moscow route on March 6, 2012 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images For British Airways)

An employee of the British Museum examines a silver coin dating from 900 AD which is part of the Silverdale Viking Hoard on December 14, 2011 in London, England. The hoard, which was discovered by local metal-detectorist Darren Webster in North Lancashire, comprises of 201 silver objects including arm-rings, coins, finger-rings, ingots, brooch fragments and fine wire braid. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

A military AWAC aircraft lands at the British RAF Akrotiri airbase on March 20, 2011 in Cyprus. Defence analysts said the sovereign military airfield at Akrotiri could be used by the RAF to help enforce a no-fly zone over Libya against Col Gaddafi’s offensive against outgunned Libyan rebels. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“Like most Brits, Emmie Stevens is dog mad. But the 25-year-old has taken it to the next level, spending £30,000 on her nine pets. Emmie’s dogs enjoy regular manicures and fur dyes and have their own walk in wardrobe to store their £15,000 clothing collection”. – Daily Record. Photo: Bailey the Staffordshire bull terrier, holding a red rose. (Photo by Helen Yates/Barcroft Media)