Zinaida Klimenko was born on 26 October 1922 in Nizhniy Shkaft village in Penza oblast.

In 1940, she entered the Industrial Institute of Samara. When the War began, the dormitory she lived in was reequipped for hospital, and two days later the first wounded were admitted. There in the hospital she nursed the wounded and soon afterwards she left for home.

In 1943, the Government arranged for admission to the Energy Institute of Moscow, and Zinaida was sent to it by the District Committee of Communist Youth Union. Upon her arrival, the study did not start, and she with other students was sent to Shterovskaya GRES, where she joined the design bureau for two months. Later she and other students came back to the institute and began their study.

When a request was received from Kazakhstan, she and her huzband were sent to work at the power plant in Leninogorsk city. Later she worked at the power plant in Tekeli town. Zinaida Klimenko visited all power plants existing at the territory of Kazakhstan at that time.

From 1962 she and her husband moved to Alma-Ata, there she worked for the Mistry of Energy within the fuel and transport department as a deputy head. In 1980 she took a well-deserved retirement.