Mount Sinabung volcano erupts, as seen from Tiga Pancur village, Karo Regency in Indonesia's North Sumatra province October 8, 2014. (Photo by Y. T. Haryono/Reuters)

Rapper Pitbull performs onstage during Nickelodeon's celebration of the new Burbank facility on January 11, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)

A man holds onto a tree by the seashore (possibly along the Shore Parkway Greenway) against severe winds during Hurricane Carol's assault on the Northeastern seaboard, Brooklyn, New York, August 31, 1954. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

This photo provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office shows a man who was possibly trying to burglarize an abandoned Chinese restaurant in San Lorenzo, Calif., trapped in a grease vent before he was rescued Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Officials say he had been trapped for two days. Deputies and firefighters were called to the vacant building on Wednesday after someone heard cries for help. The sheriff tweeted that the man was trespassing and possibly trying to burglarize the empty restaurant. (Photo by Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP Photo)

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.

Harvesting water lilies in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the last decade of August 2023. (Photo by Mostafijur Rahman Nasim/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Dancers from the Tareikura Academy dance on stage during The Power Of Inclusion Summit 2019 at Aotea Centre on October 03, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. The Power of Inclusion is a global summit where international and local voices share their stories, experiences and expertise to generate momentum for a future where representation and inclusion are the new screen industry standards. The Power of Inclusion summit is hosted by New Zealand Film Commission and Women in Film and Television International, with support from The Walt Disney Studios. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images for New Zealand Film Commission)

A farmer stands near pumpkins on display on the side of a road near Sanaa, Yemen on February 15, 2025. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)