The village of Gnezdilovo is located 7 km southwest of Suzdal, in the upper reaches of the ravine systems that flow to the Mzhara River, on a cascade of five ponds. The first mention of Gnezdilovo dates back to 1542, at that time the village was in the possession of the Suzdal bishop's house.
The cold church was dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (built in stone in 1824), the warm one (built in stone in 1857) had a rare dedication to the Suzdal saints and miracle workers Theodore and John, possibly indicating the connection of the village with the bishop's see.
Gnezdilovo became famous in archeology as a settlement near which there were several burial mound groups, studied in 1851 by A.S. Uvarov, and a settlement from the 10th–12th centuries, the excavations of which marked the beginning of the study of rural settlements in the Suzdal region.