The paper gives a scientific idea of rural areas’ development models. The critical analysis of both theoretical approaches towards the perspective models of rural areas’ development and their various scenarios is given. The territorial disproportions of rural areas’ development conditioned by the long-term dominance of the national rural areas’ development model are identified. Based on the outcome of both domestic and foreign practice, the article gives a survey that shows certain ways of how to modernize and correct the rural areas’ development model. Analyzing the theoretical aspect of rural areas’ steady development, the correlation between a variety of rural economy structure and multifunctional character of rural areas is found out which necessitates the diversification of rural economy by means of different businesses stimulation. It’s proved that rural economy is a complex socioeconomic system and its diversification is conditioned by object-subject interconnection. The authors define the structure of diversified rural economy capable of mobilizing the areas’ available resources and accumulating their major spheres and businesses: agricultural (traditional and lost); non-agricultural (industry and construction, forestry, folk craft and handicrafts; service industry (education, health care system, recreation, service occupation). On the basis of the three-pronged approach - “function-structure-target”-the model of rural areas’ diversified economy which has either some predominant industry or combination of different industries is worked out. The perspective directions of restructuring rural areas’ economy based on expert assessment are also defined in the article.

Purpose: the study aims to prioritize development directions of diversification processes in rural territories in line with their resource potential. Discussion: the key idea of the article lies in the statement that diversification processes of agrarian economies are to be effectively implemented in line with social, economic, natural and resourceful potential of rural territories aimed at the rural life maintaining and region’s territory managing, the prestige growth of farming labour and rural life on the whole, and the solution to the problem of food security solving. Results: the article deals with the analysis of social and economic development of the Lipetsk region’s rural territories and municipal entities that justifies the strategic need for rural territories’ economic diversification aimed at the cumulative resource potential growth of the region. The authors present diversification directions of rural territories’ economic development and further ways of their diversification potential building in line with the region’s social and economic problems revealed in the research.

Purpose: the study aims to work out a complex of measures oriented on regions’ adjustment to the modern industry’s new circumstances and the implementation of technological innovations under the conditions of the coming Industrial Revolution. Discussion: the research is based on the general scientific methodology that presumes systemic approach towards the defined problem-solving. Methods of empirical investigation (examination, comparison, data collection and investigation) are implemented together with current and perspective analysis, the synthesis of theory and practice are used. Results: the holistic system made up of different elements of social environment and high-tech production that tends to self-development and quick adjustment to new circumstances is to become the core of territories’ spatial development in the context of advanced industrial transformations. To guarantee the country’s economic development by means of new technologies and industries it is vital to overcome «digital gap» via favorable climate creating that enables the investment increase in digital technologies. Besides, it is necessary to modify laws regulating companies’ competition, their staff competence in line with the new economy demands which can stimulate the entrepreneurial inflow in the existing fields of activities. A special emphasis is to be made on the leading regions that by means of their resource potential are capable to ensure the qualitative breakthrough in the sphere of high technologies and create a solid basis for production modernization and the country’s innovation development on the whole.