Smoke billows from Mt. Etna volcano, as seen from an area near the village of Sant'Alfio, north of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy, Sunday, November 12, 2023. (Photo by Salvatore Allegra/AP Photo)

Carol Sofia Sanchez strikes a pose in her Shakira-inspired costume as she waits in line for the doors to open at Metropolitano Stadium, where pop star Shakira will perform in her hometown of Barranquilla in Colombia, Thursday, February 20, 2025. (Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP Photo)

Students of Rabindrabharati University apply colour dust or Gulal on each other during a celebration the festival of colour Holi in Kolkata, Eastern India, 23 March 2024. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is an ancient Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of good over evil and marking the arrival of spring. It is observed with joyful gatherings during which revelers cover each other in colored powders. (Photo by Piyal Adhikary/EPA/EFE)

Drag queen Brigitte Bandit performs during the Fight the Trump Takeover, one of several held across the nation against Texas Republicans’ efforts to redraw the state's 38 congressional districts, at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas on August 16, 2025. (Photo by Nuri Vallbona/Reuters)

A festival-goer sings at Rock in Rio music festival while Brazilian rappers Veigh and Kayblack perform in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, September 13, 2024. (Photo by Hannah-Kathryn Valles/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.

In this October 24, 2010 file photo, Canadian-born actress Pamela Anderson poses for photographers during a photocall to unveil a new advertisement in aid of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in London to encourage people to go vegetarian. PETA turns 35 years old in 2015, is the largest animal rights group in world with 3 million members, and has done a lot with a little s*x, shock and celebrity. (Photo by Akira Suemori/AP Photo)

A girl poses in her costume during a Halloween party at a mall in Quezon city, Metro Manila October 24, 2015. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Reuters)