Count Panin Nikita Ivanovich: biography, activities and interesting facts

Count Panin Nikita Ivanovich - a high dignitary under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine Alekseevna, an intelligent and subtle diplomat, educator of the crown prince, the creator of the first Russian constitution, which was supposed to limit the autocracy. This is a brief description of his activities at the court of the two empresses. And now we will take a closer look at the character traits of Count Nikita Panin. His biography is filled with cautious maneuvering, and yet he died in disgrace.

Young years

Nikita Panin was born in Danzig in 1718, March 31, into a family of noblemen, who were not particularly wealthy, but quite well-off. They believed that their ancestors were Italians from the city of Lucca. Three years later, his younger brother Peter appeared. The brothers carried their friendship through life. In the fortress Pernov, my father was a commandant. They grew up there and got a home education. According to custom, from the birth of Count Panin was recorded in the Guards Regiment. At the age of 22 he had the rank of cornet and served at the court.

Diplomatic activity

After the coup in 1741, the court was full of festivities. A cheerful Empress Elizaveta Petrovna turned her attention to the young and handsome guard who had already received the rank of the junker chamber. According to one of the legends, he overslept the appointment with the august person. After this, the offense was sent to Copenhagen, and then to Stockholm in 1747. Perhaps it was different. Here played the role of palace intrigues, according to which the place of the favorite was to belong not to Panin, but to the younger and handsome V. Shuvalov. One way or another, the courtier turns into a diplomat, his biography changes dramatically. Nikita Panin "stuck" as an envoy in Stockholm and spent 12 long years in it.

Then it was a small, boring, cold and damp city. Nikita Ivanovich did not waste time. He read a lot, studied the monarchy of Sweden, which the parliament limited. His world view has changed. Count Panin became an adherent of the constitutional monarchy, a cautious and intelligent diplomat and politician. As a thinker he was captured by the ideas of the Enlightenment, besides he came to the conclusion that Russia must fight with England for influence in the Baltic.

A new turn in the career

His patron, chancellor AP Bestuzhev-Ryumin, fell into disgrace in 1758, and Panin Nikita Ivanovich resigned, but unexpectedly for all and himself in 1760 received from Elizabeth I a high position - the tutor of Pavel Tsesarevich Pavel Petrovich, who was seven years.

Panin: teacher and diplomat

Count Panin received a "key" seat. He could influence the future of the Russian monarch. Many courtiers did not want to see on the throne of a foreigner, distinguished by an eccentric character, Peter III. They preferred that the country under their leadership be ruled by young Paul I. But it turned out otherwise, the authorities seized with the help of the Orlov brothers Ekaterina Alekseevna.

Count Panin fully supported the ambitions of the new ruler and ensured himself and his pupil a quiet life. In parallel, he served as a diplomat, receiving the post of secret adviser and senator, at the court still inexperienced in foreign affairs of the young Empress Catherine II. Together with it, he became the creator of a union of the Baltic states under the leadership of Prussia and Russia.

N. Panin - educator

And what about the young Paul? No, he is not forgotten by Nikita Ivanovich. They are sincerely attached to each other. Panin in a playfully unobtrusive form tried to instill in his pupil the idea of a constitutional monarchy. Friendly, always having a heap of jokes and instructive stories, the wise Nikita Ivanovich did not torture the prince with instructions and gave him much freedom.

In fact, he replaced his parents. The growing young man was attentive to the ideas of Nikita Ivanovich, which the Empress did not like. As soon as Paul was 17 years old, Panina was removed from office. Both: both the educator and his pupil, deeply experienced the disgrace, beautifully furnished. He was granted four thousand souls of peasants, one hundred thousand rubles, a silver service that cost five thousand rubles, a house in St. Petersburg, provisions and wines for a year, a livery for servants, crews, an annual salary increase of five thousand rubles to the already Available fourteen. However, Panin, until the end of his life, retained influence over Pavel Petrovich, who enjoyed his advice.

Cause of opal

In 1762, Nikita Ivanovich drafted a draft, according to which the unlimited monarchy was limited to a rigid framework, and the Senate was divided into departments. The first part did not like the Empress and was remembered for a long time, and the second she took to action.

An experienced diplomat

At the same time, Panin proved to be irreplaceable in matters of foreign policy. Almost twenty years, together with the empress, he directed the College of Foreign Affairs. In 1763 he became a senior member of the College. He was a gentle and kind person, he was so skilful in conversations that no one had ever heard of his refusals, but, listening to his gurgling speech, foreign diplomats forgot about their main goal.

In favor of rapprochement with Prussia under Russia's dominant position, he and Catherine II created a union of northern states that opposed England (the Northern Chord). He opposed the partition of Poland and the strengthening of France.

In 1765, an agreement was concluded with Copenhagen, in 1766 - an agreement with England on trade. In the years 1768-74, after the Russian-Turkish wars, the direction of Catherine II's policy changed, and Panin ceased to be a necessary empress. In 1769, Count Panin participates in a conspiracy that prepares the overthrow of the Empress and the elevation to the throne of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, who vowed to observe constitutional conditions, limiting the monarchy. The plot was uncovered, but Panina was gently removed from the court and Grand Duke. In 1780, during the liberation of America from the English colonization, he developed for the country a Declaration of Neutrality. In 1781 he completely retired.

The First Russian Constitution

It consisted of two parts.

The first, introductory, explained why the country needs a government that is subject to the laws. As it is actual developed for all times by Panin Nikita Ivanovich. The history of modern Russia - Vivid evidence of the correctness of the views of the politician of the eighteenth century. Power is entrusted to the ruler, so that he acts for the good of his subjects, the people should choose the ruler. This is the basis of power - its electivity. Political basis, he considered private property. And what lay in its source? This Panin did not say, but the conclusion suggests itself: the possession of serfs. If you destroy serfdom and give free rein, what will happen? We know the answer to this question since 1862, but then it was not clear.

Further, Count Panin Nikita Ivanovich had no time to develop a clear concept. He sketched only the headlines, from which it appeared that the ruler of the country should be Orthodox, but all other religions are not oppressed. It is necessary to streamline the succession to the throne, which Pavel Petrovich subsequently did. The rights of the estates were not specified, but were indicated in the headings. Courts should act only publicly. Taxes are introduced only after discussions in the government. This constitution after his death, he bequeathed to the heir, his beloved pupil, but he did not receive it. Brother Panin, Pyotr Ivanovich, seeing the changes in the character of Paul, did not give him the document. Only fragments recorded by his secretary, D. I. Fonvizin, have survived to this day.

When NI Panin died in 1763 at age 65, Pavel Petrovich sat by his bed and held his hand. When he came to power, he placed a monument to his teacher in the church of St. Magdalene in Pavlovsk.

Personal qualities of Count Panin and interesting facts from his life

Kind and soft by nature, he was a big sybarite. I did not get out of bed before noon, I never took my time, I was very lazy and never took bribes. He was not greedy, Nikita Ivanovich shared with his serfs between his secretaries, including his share was received by DI Fonvizin, the future playwright.

NI Panin, a lover of good food, had the best chefs in the city. At the same time, he could take up the preparation of the dish: boil the oysters in beer and burn the cuff. And could not be healthy in the morning, having eaten too densely in the evening watermelons. He was not married, but he looked after the beautiful half of humanity with pleasure. In addition, he was a freemason.

For us, his descendants, Count Panin remained in his memory as an outstanding diplomat who brought considerable benefits to Russia and strengthened its position among Western states.