Rural territories of the North of Russia: development priorities

Ensuring balanced spatial development of Russia is not possible without the implementation of measures for accelerated development of rural areas. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to adjust the priorities of rural development in the North of Russia based on the analysis of the regional state program “Integrated development of rural areas of the Vologda region”. The methodological basis is the developments of regional and spatial economics and economy of rural territories. The information base was the data of Federal State Statistics Service, reports of the Vologda Region state authorities, the results of surveys of the Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. We used methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison and correlation as well as regression analysis. The elements of scientific novelty are consideration of rural areas as an integral part of the region's space as well as integrated use of monographic, statistical and econometric methods in justifying the need to change the priorities of rural development. The expediency of adjusting the priorities of rural development in the direction of active advancement of their economy is revealed. It seems relevant to adjust priorities by including measures for the development of the rural economy, enshrined in the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rural Areas of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030, and measures to form a single rural-urban space. The prospect for research is justification of social and economic efficiency from the implementation of measures to improve the rural economy.