Nikita Ivanovich Panin

Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin (Russian: ) (September 18, 1718 March 31, 1783) was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first eighteen years of her reign. He advocated the Northern Alliance and closer ties with Frederick the Great of Prussia. His staunch opposition to the partitions of Poland led to his being replaced by the more compliant Prince Bezborodko.