A model poses for a photograph backstage during Moscow Fashion Week in Moscow, Russia, Monday, October 7, 2024. (Photo by Pavel Bednyakov/AP Photo)

Kites fly in the sky during the Kite Show at the historical complex “Fort Konstantin” in city of Kronstadt outside Saint Petersburg, on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Olga Maltseva/AFP Photo)

«After Presents», 1996. Siri Kaur: “I was 14 when Simran was born in 1990. We have different mothers, so we grew up separately and I made pictures with her whenever I saw her. The work of Sally Mann and Nan Goldin gave me permission to see my family as a valid art subject. This image shows the aftermath of Christmas morning. Simran is unselfconsciously lounging on the floor, melding into her beloved dog”. (Photo by Siri Kaur)

“Misty Morning”. Every morning, people expect sunny weather. Photo location: Bali, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Henry Adam/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Don't Leave Any Food On Your Plate”. The giraffes at Nairobi's Giraffe Manor are totally at home with humans. They will eat out of your hand, or even off your plate. Photo location: Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo and caption by Gavin Werbeloff/National Geographic Photo Contest)

A festival goer uses a hula hoop, as revelers gather ahead of this weekends Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm in Somerset, southwest England, on June 25, 2014. US metal giants Metallica will play this year's coveted Saturday night headline spot at Britain's Glastonbury festival, organisers announced Thursday. It will be the “Master of Puppets” four-piece's first appearance at the legendary festival, held in south west England, following on from The Rolling Stones' Worthy Farm debut last year. (Photo by Leon Neal/AFP 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.

Street vendors carry chickens for sale at Kawran Bazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh January 25, 2017. (Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)