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Accounts by travelers and diplomats illuminate less tangible aspects of city life in the early years of St. Petersburg, such as sounds, lifestyles, and eating habits. Cannon shots became the most dominant sound from the moment of the city's founding in 1703. In 1704 Alexander Menshikov started a tradition of firing the cannon to mark time. Clock chimes were another distinct sound that appeared in the city in 1713. Foreign languages could be heard everywhere in the city.