The tone poem Finlandia op. 26 was written in fall 1899 as the closing piece of the "Music for the Press Celebrations," in which the Finnish intelligentsia voiced its protest against the Russian government's tightening of the censorship laws. In its final form, the work was given its world premiere in Helsinki on 2 July 1900 under the title "Suomi" (Finland). The orchestra then went on a European tour which also led them to the World's Fair in Paris. Immediately after this tour, Finlandia won its lasting celebrity.