Archer Sheetal Devi from India prepares to fire during the Paralympic Games in Paris on Thursday, August 29, 2024. (Photo by Felix Scheyer/AP Photo)

Spanish model Lorena Duran attends the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Launch Party at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/Getty Images)

Russian army servicewomen march during the Victory Day military parade at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, marking the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

Girls dressed in traditional costumes run as men throw water on them as part of Easter celebrations during a presentation to the media in Mezokovesd, Hungary, April 13, 2017. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)

Marina performs on stage at O2 Apollo Manchester on May 10, 2019 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Andrew Benge/Redferns)

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 couple kisses as they dance at a DJ party in Caracas, Venezuela, early Saturday, September 10, 2022. (Photo by Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

A man in a wartime uniform, poses for a photo on an abandoned tank at a beach, ahead of the 60th anniversary of Second Taiwan Straits Crisis against China, in Kinmen, Taiwan on August 19, 2018. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)