▁Sh ost akov ich ▁( 1 9 0 6 – 7 5 ). ▁The ▁suite ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁an ▁op us ▁number . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁before ▁the ▁Soviet ▁forces ▁were ▁to ▁in va de ▁Finland , ▁the ▁Party ▁Secretary ▁of ▁L ening rad ▁And rei ▁Z hd an ov ▁commission ed ▁a ▁celebr atory ▁piece ▁from ▁Sh ost akov ich , ▁a ▁theme ▁to ▁be ▁performed ▁as ▁the ▁march ing ▁bands ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁would ▁be ▁par ading ▁through ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁capital ▁Hels ink i . ▁Sh ost akov ich ▁finished ▁compos ing ▁on ▁ 3 ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁as ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁was ▁adv ancing ▁in ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁front ▁and ▁the ▁pu ppet ▁regime ▁Finn ish ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁was ▁founded ▁three ▁days ▁earlier . ▁ ▁The ▁only ▁early ▁historical ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁suite ▁is ▁a ▁letter ▁which ▁Sh ost akov ich ▁sent ▁his ▁friend ▁Lev on ▁A to v my an ▁on ▁ 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁letter , ▁Sh ost akov ich ▁apolog izes ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁make ▁to ▁sym phony ▁act ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁as ▁the ▁L ening rad ▁military ▁districts ▁commission ed ▁a ▁suite ▁for ▁Finn ish ▁folk ▁songs . ▁The ▁dead line ▁was ▁on ▁ 2 ▁December , ▁but ▁he ▁finished ▁on ▁ 3 ▁December . ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁commission ▁date ▁is ▁uncertain , ▁but ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁historian ▁O ht o ▁Mann inen , ▁it ▁was