Stardust and Bruno Tonioli at “Britain's Got Talent” TV Show, Series 17, Semi-Final 1, Episode 9 in London, UK on May 27, 2024. (Photo by Dymond/Thames/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Artists from the Beijing Dance Academy perform to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in Budapest, capital of Hungary, February 6, 2019. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua News Agency/Barcroft Media)

Twelve-year-old Kelia Gallina of French Polynesia after surfing in Heat 1 of the Elimination Round at the Lexus Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2025 at Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia.(Photo by Brent Bielmann/World Surf League via Getty Images)

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 visitor takes in a view of the downtown district from Twin Peaks on Friday, January 9, 2015, in San Francisco. (Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

Singer Ariana Grande performs during the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, on November 9, 2014. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

Syrian refugee boys play with toy guns at Eminonu district in Istanbul, Turkey, 08 January 2019. (Photo by Sedat Suna/EPA/EFE)

An artist dressed as demon King Ravana reacts as he participates in Vijaya Dashmi, or Dussehra festival celebrations in Chandigarh, India October 19, 2018. (Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters)