In this paper we attempt to reconstruct the evolution of ideas in the studies of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian Orientalists about the Republic of Tripolitania, which existed on the territory of the modern State of Libya in 1918–1923. Based on the analysis of historiographic materials, we identified the main stages in the development of research in this area, as well as problematic issues and approaches to their comprehension. Specific examples show how changes in the sociopolitical context in the Russia and Libya, as well as the dynamics of interstate relations, influenced the transformation of ideas about the Tripolitan Republic and its role in the history of Libya in the 20th century.
Keywords:
Libya; Tripolitania; Tripolitanian Republic; historiography; history; politicization of history
