The article considers the problem of synthesis in the historiography of history of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia, and also the question of continuity in the Russian research works of this direction. The outstanding researchers, N.Ya. Bichurin, V.V. Bartold and Yu.N. Roerich were at the forefront of the complex studying of the region in the XIX–XX centuries. Being the pioneer, N.Ya.Bichurin undertook titanic work on collecting of data on the Central Asian people from the Chinese historical sources. The next step to historical synthesis was taken by V.V. Bartold. Nine-volume collection of the scientist’s works contains the academic works on the history of Turks, Mongols, and Iranians. In the 1930s,Yu. N. Roerich expanded geography domestic research of Asia to the Plateau of Tibet and generalized the accumulated knowledge of the history of nomads in the fundamental three-volume work «History of Central Asia». Thus, the efforts of prominent Orientalists resulted in collecting the source base on the history of Central Asia nomads and it served as the basis for the complete conception of the past of the Central Asian people. Valuable experience of scientific historical synthesis keeps relevance today.