Nikita Ivanovich Panin (1718-1783) was a Russian diplomat and statesman from the Panin family. He became the tutor of Grand Duke Paul Petrovich and led Russian foreign policy during the first half of Catherine II's reign. Panin developed the "Northern Accord" plan and one of the first constitutional projects in Russia.

Panin's childhood was spent in Pernov (now Pärnu, Estonia), where his father was the commandant. In his youth, he was enrolled in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment and by 1740 had attained the rank of cornet. Due to his attractive appearance, Panin was accepted into the high society of St. Petersburg and received the court rank of chamber junker.

In the mid-1740s, rumors circulated that Panin was competing with A. G. Razumovsky for the attention of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, but he lost due to his laziness, having overslept a scheduled meeting. After that, Panin switched from a military career to a diplomatic one: in 1747, he went to Denmark and then became an envoy to Sweden. In Stockholm, he became an advocate of constitutional monarchy and embraced Enlightenment ideas, deciding that Russia should counter English influence in the Baltic.

Panin proved to be a capable diplomat, but his career depended on the patronage of Chancellor A. P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. When Bestuzhev-Ryumin fell from favor in 1758, Panin requested resignation. However, in 1760, the empress appointed him as the tutor of Grand Duke Paul Petrovich.

Panin actively participated in preparing the coup in favor of Catherine II, hoping that she would become regent for the underage Paul. According to one version, he organized the assassination of Peter III. Catherine II rewarded Panin by making him a privy councilor and senator. She valued his intellect and loyalty, but their views on governance diverged.

In 1762, Panin proposed the "Manifesto on the Establishment of the Imperial Council and the Division of the Senate into Departments," which limited the monarchy in the spirit of Enlightenment. Catherine initially accepted the project but later rejected it, retaining only the part concerning the Senate, which led to the Senate reform of 1763.

Panin's experience was necessary for Catherine in foreign policy as well. For nearly twenty years, he was her chief advisor and de facto head of foreign policy, holding the position of senior member of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs since 1763. Panin concluded treaties with Denmark and England, but his influence waned after the Russo-Turkish War and the rise of G. A. Potemkin. Panin's last significant contribution was the "Declaration of Armed Neutrality 1780." In 1781, he retired, leaving a mark in history as a talented diplomat who contributed to the successes of Russian foreign policy.