Abstract: The article substantiates the topicality of the problem of studying crime in rural areas, which is defined, on one hand, by complicated character of criminal situation in villages, and topicality of problems of organizing countermeasures against crime and its prevention, and on the other hand, by the lack of studies of the criminological issues in the sphere of rural crime. The number of cases involving death or grievous harm to health of village people by criminal attacks is especially alarming to one studying rural crime.  The number of deaths of people due to crime in rural areas in Russia remains the same in last three years, and it is over two times larger than the same criterion for the city crime, and one and a half times larger for causing grievous harm to health of people. The authors of the article point out the complicated character of criminal situation in the villages. The tendency for the lesser registered crimes in the rural areas in 2009 to 2012 does not reflect the real situation, since it is artificially formed in last several years by lowering statistical data. In this article the authors analyze the situation and tendencies in rural crime. The methods employed include following from abstract to specific, systemic structural and comparative analysis, historic method, dynamic and statistical methods, as well as specific sociological methods for the evaluation of rural crime. The scientific novelty is due to establishing the fact that the level of rural crime is higher than city crime.  Additionally, the crimes in rural area become especially troublesome due to the scale and amount of deaths of village people and causing grievous harm to their health.  The number of deaths of people due to crime in rural areas in Russia remains the same in last three years, and it is over two times larger than the same criterion for the city crime, and one and a half times larger for causing grievous harm to health of people.