You are looking at the HTML representation of the XML format.
HTML is good for debugging, but is unsuitable for application use.
Specify the format parameter to change the output format.
To see the non HTML representation of the XML format, set format=xml.
See the complete documentation, or API help for more information. 
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<api>
  <query-continue>
    <recentchanges rccontinue="20170605163344|261" />
  </query-continue>
  <query>
    <recentchanges>
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Балтийский федеральный университет имени Иммануила Канта" pageid="4" revid="274" old_revid="254" rcid="271" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:50:04Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1959 год" pageid="80" revid="273" old_revid="253" rcid="270" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:48:40Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1958 год" pageid="76" revid="272" old_revid="249" rcid="269" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:47:20Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1956-1957 годы" pageid="73" revid="271" old_revid="246" rcid="268" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:46:21Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1955 год" pageid="68" revid="270" old_revid="241" rcid="267" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:45:02Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1954 год" pageid="66" revid="269" old_revid="239" rcid="266" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:42:46Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1948 год" pageid="43" revid="268" old_revid="255" rcid="265" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:40:01Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1949 год" pageid="47" revid="267" old_revid="261" rcid="264" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:39:29Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1950 год" pageid="50" revid="266" old_revid="260" rcid="263" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:38:20Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="1952 год" pageid="59" revid="265" old_revid="262" rcid="262" timestamp="2017-06-05T16:36:12Z" />
    </recentchanges>
  </query>
</api>