The reform of local self-government, in relation to the lower level of its implementation - the village level, today raises new questions in the sphere of rural economy and their spatial development. Rural agglomerations, as a form of spatial and demographic transformation of rural territories, have been formed on vast spaces in Russia since the times of serfdom. This was facilitated by the existence of the community and the nature of production relations in the agrarian sphere of the economy. Today, the process of agglomeration does not have an obvious economically or socially initiated character. Its implementation is associated with the search for tools to improve the quality of state policy in rural areas, reducing government spending on the maintenance of the social infrastructure of degrading rural settlements. The article examines the role and importance of rural agglomerations in the process of spatial management and in the processes of functioning of the local economy. Based on many scientific approaches, the author reveals the features of the process of agglomeration of rural territories in social, demographic, cultural and other spheres of public relations. The author concludes about the set of relevant functions of rural territories of Russia. In this capacity, demographic, cultural and production functions are distinguished. A study of the transformation of the functions of rural territories of Russia under the influence of the agglomeration process is carried out.