The paddle-wheel-type centrosymmetric dinuclear title complex, [Zn2(C 7H 5O 2)4(C 12H 10N 2)2], contains four bridging benzoate groups and two terminal trans-1-(2-pyrid-yl)-2-(4-pyrid-yl)ethyl-ene (L) ligands. The inversion center is located between the two Zn II atoms. The octa-hedral coordination around the Zn II atom, with four O atoms in the equatorial plane, is completed by an N atom of the L mol-ecule [Zn - N = 2.0198 (15) Å] and by the second Zn II atom [Zn⋯Zn = 2.971 (8) Å]. The Zn II atom is 0.372 Å out of the plane of the four coordinating O atoms.