Nikita Panin
Nikita Panin | |
|---|---|
Panin by Alexander Roslin, 1777 | |
| Born | 29 September 1718 |
| Died | 11 April 1783 (aged 64) |
| Buried | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire |
| Service years | Entered the Imperial Russian Army in 1740 |
| "First Present" of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1763–1781 | |
| Monarch | Catherine II |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Vorontsov |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Osterman |
| Ambassador of Russia to Sweden | |
| In office 1748 – June 1760 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth Petrovna |
| Preceded by | Johann Korff |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Osterman |
| Ambassador of Russia to Denmark | |
| In office 1747–1748 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth Petrovna |
| Preceded by | Aleksey Pushkin [ru] |
| Succeeded by | Johann Korff |
Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin (Russian: Ники́та Ива́нович Па́нин; September 29 [O.S. September 18] 1718 – April 11 [O.S. March 31] 1783) was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first 18 years of her reign (1762–1780). In that role, he advocated the Northern Alliance, closer ties with Frederick the Great of Prussia and the establishment of an advisory privy council. His staunch opposition to the Partitions of Poland led to his being replaced by the more compliant Prince Alexander Bezborodko. Catherine appointed many men to the Senate who were related to Panin's powerful family.
During Elizabeth's reign, he served as ambassador extraordinary to Denmark–Norway (1747–48), as well as ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Sweden (1748–59, and until June 1760). Under Catherine, he was the "first present" of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs (1765–83, actually until 1781; since 1763 and further).