The bronze figure of a man with a cloak is a monument paying tribute to the famous Serbian ruler, writer and builder Despot Stefan Lazarevic, during whose government Belgrade became the capital of Serbia for the first time.

Despot Stefan, the son of Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic and Princess Milica, inherited Serbia, which had been dealt a heavy blow at the battle in Kosovo and which had to recognise the supreme authority of the Turkish Sultan. As one of the proofs of vassal obedience, Princess Milica sent her youngest daughter, Olivera, to the Sultan’s harem. Despot Stefan respected the vassal oath until 1402, when, after the battle of Angora, Sultan Bayezid fell into Tatar captivity. At that time, there was a change in the Despot’s foreign policy and he became a Hungarian vassal in order to have the protection of a powerful Christian state. The Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxembourg then gave him the administration of Belgrade, where the Despot moved the Serbian capital to from Krusevac. Belgrade played the role of the capital for only 23 years, until the Despot’s death in 1427.

The sudden death of Despot Stefan stopped the process of growing the fortress into a city. According to the earlier agreement, Belgrade was returned to the Hungarians and the new capital of Serbia was soon built in Smederevo.

The 3.2 metre high sculpture of the Despot was made by Belgrade sculptor Nebojsa Mitric and was revealed in 1982.