diff --git a/map/bookmark.cpp b/map/bookmark.cpp
index 7a892d0b1a..95c1cd3499 100644
--- a/map/bookmark.cpp
+++ b/map/bookmark.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,68 @@
 #include "../std/algorithm.hpp"
 
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+time_t const Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP = static_cast<time_t>(-1);
+
+/// @name Helper functions to convert kml timestamps
+//@{
+
+/// Always creates strings in UTC time: 1997-07-16T07:30:15Z
+/// Returns empty string on error
+string TimestampToString(time_t time)
+{
+  struct tm * t = gmtime(&time);
+  char buf[21] = { 0 };
+  ::snprintf(buf, ARRAY_SIZE(buf), "%04d-%02d-%02dT%02d:%02d:%02dZ", t->tm_year + 1900,
+             t->tm_mon + 1, t->tm_mday, t->tm_hour, t->tm_min, t->tm_sec);
+  return buf;
+}
+
+/// Accepts strings in UTC format: 1997-07-16T07:30:15Z
+/// And with custom time offset:   1997-07-16T10:30:15+03:00
+/// @return INVALID_TIME_STAMP if string is invalid
+time_t StringToTimestamp(string const & timeStr)
+{
+  struct tm t;
+  memset(&t, 0, sizeof(t));
+  // Return current time in the case of failure
+  time_t res = Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP;
+  // Parse UTC format
+  if (timeStr.size() == 20)
+  {
+    if (6 == sscanf(timeStr.c_str(), "%4d-%2d-%2dT%2d:%2d:%2dZ", &t.tm_year,
+                    &t.tm_mon, &t.tm_mday, &t.tm_hour, &t.tm_min, &t.tm_sec))
+    {
+      t.tm_year -= 1900;
+      t.tm_mon -= 1;
+      res = timegm(&t);
+    }
+  }
+  else if (timeStr.size() == 25)
+  {
+    // Parse custom time zone offset format
+    char sign;
+    int tzHours, tzMinutes;
+    if (9 == sscanf(timeStr.c_str(), "%4d-%2d-%2dT%2d:%2d:%2d%c%2d:%2d", &t.tm_year,
+                    &t.tm_mon, &t.tm_mday, &t.tm_hour, &t.tm_min, &t.tm_sec,
+                    &sign, &tzHours, &tzMinutes))
+    {
+      t.tm_year -= 1900;
+      t.tm_mon -= 1;
+      time_t const tt = timegm(&t);
+      // Fix timezone offset
+      if (sign == '-')
+        res = tt + tzHours * 3600 + tzMinutes * 60;
+      else if (sign == '+')
+        res = tt - tzHours * 3600 - tzMinutes * 60;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return res;
+}
+
+//@}
+
 void BookmarkCategory::AddBookmarkImpl(Bookmark const & bm, double scale)
 {
   Bookmark * p = new Bookmark(bm);
diff --git a/map/bookmark.hpp b/map/bookmark.hpp
index 8df2e45d87..932c3d2922 100644
--- a/map/bookmark.hpp
+++ b/map/bookmark.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "../std/string.hpp"
 #include "../std/noncopyable.hpp"
 #include "../std/iostream.hpp"
+#include "../std/ctime.hpp"
 
 
 class Bookmark
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ public:
   string const & GetType() const { return m_type; }
   m2::RectD GetViewport() const { return m2::RectD(m_org, m_org); }
 
+  static time_t const INVALID_TIME_STAMP;
+
   double GetScale() const { return m_scale; }
   void SetScale(double scale) { m_scale = scale; }
 };
diff --git a/map/map_tests/bookmarks_test.cpp b/map/map_tests/bookmarks_test.cpp
index c95f8b0948..0f284a7f3c 100644
--- a/map/map_tests/bookmarks_test.cpp
+++ b/map/map_tests/bookmarks_test.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 #include "../../std/fstream.hpp"
 
 
+// Prototypes for private functions in bookmarks.cpp
+string TimestampToString(time_t time);
+time_t StringToTimestamp(string const & timeStr);
+
 namespace
 {
 char const * kmlString =
@@ -373,3 +377,21 @@ UNIT_TEST(Bookmarks_AddingMoving)
 
   DeleteCategoryFiles();
 }
+
+UNIT_TEST(TimestampConversion)
+{
+  TEST_EQUAL(TimestampToString(0), "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(TimestampToString(1354482514), "2012-12-02T21:08:34Z", ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(StringToTimestamp("1970-01-01T00:00:00Z"), 0, ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(StringToTimestamp("2012-12-02T21:08:34Z"), 1354482514, ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(StringToTimestamp("2012-12-03T00:38:34+03:30"), 1354482514, ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(StringToTimestamp("2012-12-02T11:08:34-10:00"), 1354482514, ());
+
+  time_t now = time(0);
+  TEST_EQUAL(now, StringToTimestamp(TimestampToString(now)), ());
+
+  TEST_EQUAL(Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP, StringToTimestamp("asd23423adsfbhj657"), ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP, StringToTimestamp("2012-aa-02T21:08:34Z"), ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP, StringToTimestamp("2012-12-0ZT21:08:34Z"), ());
+  TEST_EQUAL(Bookmark::INVALID_TIME_STAMP, StringToTimestamp("2012:12:02T21-08-34Z"), ());
+}