The purpose of the article is to substantiate the improvement of practical principles for implementation of crisis management in agricultural enterprises through the introduction of internal and external stabilization mechanisms, as well as differentiation of preventive, reactionary and post-crisis models of managerial influence taking into account stages of emergence and course of crisis. Research methods. In the research process the following scientific methods were used: the dialectical method of cognition (for exploring a practice of introducing crisis management in agricultural enterprises taking into account cause and effect of crisis emergence and deepening); systematic approach (for determining optimal anti-crisis mechanisms in preventive, reaction and postcrisis management); retrospective analysis (for assessing indicators of crisis manifestations and destabilization processes in agricultural enterprises); cluster analysis (for evaluating destabilization scales); statistical analysis, including the series of dynamics, mean and relative values, index, comparisons, and others (for assessing dynamics and features of crisis). Research results. Practice of crisis management in agricultural enterprises was investigated. Specific, atypical for other spheres of economy and branches of economic activity, factors of crisis emergence were revealed. Peculiarities of crisis manifestations in agricultural enterprises’ activity were established. Based on the author's research methodology, it was revealed that mainly crisis phenomena and destabilization were manifested in activities of agricultural enterprises with a low intensity of capital and investment processes, unsatisfactory level of labour and export potential, obsolete fixed capital, cost disparity sometimes, and inefficient use of capital and deepening financial risks. According to the results of cluster analysis, an impact of crisis phenomena and destabilization processes on agricultural enterprises’ activity was assessed. Necessity of introducing a comprehensive anti-crisis management system or separate elements of anti-crisis measures for a large proportion of agricultural enterprises was proved. Expediency of simultaneous introduction of internal and external anti-crisis mechanisms was substantiated. Particular attention was paid to the formation of internal anti-crisis mechanisms through their differentiation into preventive, reactionary and postcrisis depending on crisis phase and its impact on agricultural enterprise’s work. Purpose, indicators and set of the main anti-crisis measures within each of the selected internal mechanisms were substantiated. General principles for introduction of external mechanisms of anti-crisis influence from the state were shown. Elements of scientific novelty. The scientific-methodical approach to improving the crisis management of agricultural enterprises based on the allocation of preventive, reaction and post-crisis mechanisms depending on a phase and depth of crisis phenomena and destabilization processes was proposed. Specific factors of crisis occurrence in agricultural enterprises’ activity were identified and systematized. Features of crisis manifestation were investigated and extent of destabilization was evaluated. Key problems faced by agricultural enterprises at each crisis phase were identified and key signal indicators were substantiated. Set of anticrisis measures within the framework of implementation of preventive, reaction and post-crisis mechanisms was offered. Approaches to providing external stabilization influence on the activity of agricultural economic entities by the state were proposed. Practical significance. Approaches to introduction of preventive, reactionary and post-crisis mechanisms of anti-crisis management in agricultural enterprises were offered. There have been outlined principles for using mechanisms of external anti-crisis influence, which allow well-timed response of business entities to the emergence and deepening of crises, taking into account their depth and phase. Practical implementation of the proposed approaches will stabilize activities of agricultural enterprises, prevent their loss of financial stability and solvency, and help to improve economic efficiency. Figs.: 2. Refs.: 11