Donenbaeva began work as a tractor driver on the
state collective farm "Kharkov". Within a year, she began to set production records for plowing on a
Belarus-style tractor. In 1962, she exceed her allotted 720 hectares to plow by competing 1,018 hectares. She began testing equipment, working on a variety of tractors including the
MTZ-5, MTZ-50,
DT-54, DT-74,
K-700, and K-701, as well as combines, mowers and reapers. The
Kirovets K-700 was designed specifically for Donenbaeva and she was the first to test the equipment. Annually she exceeded her plowing yields by one and a half to two times her required production. In 1972, Donenbaeva placed first in the regional plowing competition of
plowers and took 3rd place in the national competition. For her effort, she was awarded the
Order of Lenin on 13 December 1972. The following year, she took the grand prize at the All-Union competition in
Zernograd. In 1974, Donenbaeva was elected as a delegate to the Kostanay Regional Council and the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The following year, she was honored with a second Order of Lenin, as well as the
Hero of Socialist Labour and in 1976 was decorated with the
Order of the Badge of Honour. She was re-elected three times as a deputy in the Supreme Soviet, serving until 1989. Simultaneously, she raised four children and for five years (1980–1985) was the deputy chair of the
Soviet of Nationalities. She was promoted to safety engineer at the Kharkov farm in 1990, and then three years later became the overseer until her retirement. In celebration of her retirement, she made
The Hajj to
Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 2002. In 2015, Donenbaeva was honored at the
International Day of Older Persons festivities by the
Akim of the
Kostanay Region her region and , Akim of the
City of Kostanay as a national heroine. ==Death and legacy==