Count Panin Nikita Ivanovich - a high dignitary under Empresses Elizaveta Petrovna and Ekaterina Alekseevna, an intelligent and subtle diplomat, tutor of the Tsarevich, 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 what character traits Count Nikita Panin possessed. His biography is filled with careful maneuvering, and yet he died in disgrace.
Young years
Nikita Panin was born in Danzig in 1718, on March 31, into a noble family, not particularly we althy, but quite prosperous. They believed that their ancestors were Italians from the city of Lucca. Three years later, he had a younger brother Peter. The brothers carried their friendship throughout their lives. In the Pernov fortress, my father was the commandant. They grew up there and were educated at home. According to custom, from birth, Count Panin was enlisted in the Guards Regiment. At 22, he had the rank of cornet and served at court.
Diplomatic activity
After the coup of 1741, there were continuous festivities at the court. On theThe young and handsome guardsman, who had already received the rank of chamber junker, was attracted by the cheerful Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. According to one of the legends, he overslept the appointment with the most august person. After this misconduct, he was sent to Copenhagen and then to Stockholm in 1747. Perhaps things were different. Palace intrigues played a role here, according to which the place of the favorite should have belonged not to Panin, but to the younger and more 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 wasted no time. He read a lot, studied the monarchy of Sweden, which was limited by parliament. His outlook 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 should fight England for influence in the B altic.
A new round in my career
His patron, Chancellor A. P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, fell into disgrace in 1758, and Panin Nikita Ivanovich resigned, but unexpectedly for everyone and himself in 1760 he received a high position from Elizabeth I - the tutor of the Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, who was seven years old.
Panin: teacher and diplomat
Count Panin received a "key" position. He could influence the future Russian monarch. Many courtiers did not want to see a foreigner on the throne,distinguished by an eccentric character, Peter III. They preferred that the country under their leadership was ruled by the young Pavel I. But it turned out differently, Ekaterina Alekseevna seized power with the help of the Orlov brothers.
Count Panin fully supported the ambitions of the new ruler and ensured a quiet life for himself and his pupil. In parallel, he served as a diplomat, having received the position of Privy Councilor and Senator, at the court of the young Empress Catherine II, still inexperienced in foreign affairs. Together with her, he became the creator of the union of the B altic states under the leadership of Prussia and Russia.
N. Panin - educator
And what about young Pavel? No, he is not forgotten by Nikita Ivanovich. They are sincerely attached to each other. Panin, in a playful, unobtrusive manner, tried to instill in his pupil the ideas of a constitutional monarchy. Benevolent, always having a bunch of jokes and instructive stories in store, the wise Nikita Ivanovich did not torment the Tsarevich with instructions and gave him a lot of 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 Pavel was 17 years old, Panin was removed from office. Both: both the teacher and his pupil, deeply experienced the disgrace, furnished beautifully. He was given four thousand souls of peasants, one hundred thousand rubles, a silver service worth five thousand rubles, a house in St. Petersburg, provisions and wine for a year, livery for servants, carriages, an annual increase in salary,which amounted to five thousand rubles to the already available fourteen. However, Panin until the end of his life retained influence on Pavel Petrovich, who used his advice.
Reason for disgrace
In 1762, Nikita Ivanovich drew up a draft, according to which the unlimited monarchy was limited to strict limits, and the Senate was divided into departments. The empress did not like the first part and was remembered for a long time, and she took the second to action.
Experienced diplomat
At the same time, Panin proved to be indispensable in matters of foreign policy. For almost twenty years, together with the Empress, he led the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. In 1763 he became a senior member of the College. A gentle and kind person, he spoke so skillfully that no one ever heard his refusals, and, listening to his smoothly murmuring speech, foreign diplomats forgot about their main goal.
In favor of rapprochement with Prussia under the dominant position of Russia, he and Catherine II created an alliance of northern states that opposed England ("Northern Accord"). He opposed the division of Poland and the strengthening of France.
In 1765, an agreement was concluded with Copenhagen, in 1766 - an agreement with England on trade. In 1768-74, after the Russian-Turkish wars, the direction of the policy of Catherine II changed, and Panin ceased to be necessary for the empress. In 1769, Count Panin participates in a conspiracy that is preparing the overthrow of the Empress and the enthronement of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, who has sworn to comply with constitutional conditions by limiting the monarchy. CONSPIRACYwas opened, but Panin was gently removed from the court and the Grand Duke. In 1780, during the liberation of America from English colonization, he developed a Declaration of Neutrality for the country. 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 obeys the laws. How relevant this was developed for all times by Panin Nikita Ivanovich. The history of modern Russia – is clear evidence of the correctness of the views of the 18th century politician. Power is entrusted to the ruler, so that he acts for the benefit of his subjects, the people must choose the ruler. This is the basis of power - its election. He considered private property to be the political basis. And what lay at its source? Panin did not talk about this, but the conclusion suggests itself: the possession of serfs. If we destroy serfdom and give free rein, what will happen? We have known the answer to this question since 1862, but it was not clear then.
Further on, Count Panin Nikita Ivanovich did not have time to develop a clear concept. He sketched only headlines, from which it was clear that the ruler of the country must be Orthodox, but all other religions are not oppressed. The succession to the throne should be streamlined, which was subsequently done by Pavel Petrovich. The rights of the estates were not specified, but were indicated in the headings. The courts must act only in public. Taxes are introduced only after discussions in the government. This constitution, after his death, he bequeathed to his heir, his belovedpupil, but he did not receive it. Panin's brother, Pyotr Ivanovich, seeing the changes that had taken place in Pavel's character, did not give him the document. Only fragments recorded by his secretary D. I. Fonvizin have survived to this day.
When N. I. Panin was dying in 1763 at the age of 65, Pavel Petrovich was sitting by his bed and holding his hand. Having come to power, he erected a monument to his teacher in the church of St. Magdalena in Pavlovsk.
Personal qualities of Count Panin and interesting facts from his life
Kind and gentle by nature, he was a great sybarite. He did not get out of bed before noon, he was never in a hurry, he was very lazy and, for all that, he never took bribes. He was not greedy, Nikita Ivanovich divided the serfs presented to him among his secretaries, including D. I. Fonvizin, the future playwright, received his share.
N. I. Panin, a lover of good food, had the best chefs in the city. At the same time, he could take on the preparation of the dish himself: boil oysters in beer and burn his cuff at the same time. And he could not be he althy in the morning, having dined too tightly in the evening with watermelons. He was not married, but courted the beautiful half of humanity with pleasure. In addition, he was a Freemason.
For us, his descendants, Count Panin remained in our memory as an outstanding diplomat who brought considerable benefits to Russia and strengthened its position among Western states.
