Aim. To reconstruct strategic guidelines in the political and religious activities of Alexander Nevsky in the context of global civilizational and geopolitical transformations. Methodology. The course of the historical process was simultaneously examined within the framework of various civilizational communities and their interactions. Rather than applying conventional analysis to the events of the 13th century in individual countries, an integrated version of the history of the century as a clash of various religious projects was proposed. Results. The obtained results substantiated the likelihood of the advancement and implementation by Alexander Nevsky of the soft power strategy, consisting in removing threats from the east and expanding the boundaries of the Christian civilizational area through the spread of Christianity among the Mongols. The article shows the importance of the Christian component in the 13th-century Mongolian community and its influence on the politics of the Mongols, which makes it possible to assess Alexander Nevsky’s strategy as realistic. Research implications. The theoretical significance of the study is determined by the rethinking of Alexander Nevsky’s strategy as an active policy of religious and ideological influence. The practical significance of the article is associated with its potential for the formation of a new cultural policy of Russia in the eastern direction.