But in May 1919, at the peak of his literary fame, Nicolaides suddenly left Athens. He took up residence for the next four years in his homeland of Cyprus. His plan was to publish there the new works he had ready, and to promote the island's cultural life, making it a "land of the muses". Such at least is the testimony of a young compatriot, Glafkos Alithersis, who had returned to Cyprus before him and was preparing the ground for his teacher by spreading publicity in his Limassol newspaper "Aletheia" (Truth). As soon as Nicolaides was back in Cyprus, he immediately published "The Blue flower" in Nicosia. But he found the intellectual climate there discouraging. He spent a few months in Stavrovouni Monastery, then moved on after some hesitation to Limassol. There he was welcomed by a band of enthusiastic young friends who were willing to campaign on behalf of art and literature, including Emilios Hourmouzios, Yiannis Lefkis, Yiangos Eliadis, Christodoulos Christodoulidis, Antonis Indianos, Dimitrios Demitriadis, the brothers Banos, and George Fasouliotis.(Alithersis had meanwhile left for Alexandria). Nicolaides' presence in Limassol stimulated a flowering of intellectual life and creativity. Within three years, he published three books (one volume of lyric prose, one of short stories, and a novel—"o Stravoxylo" (The Peevish Fellow). He staged two tragedies with girl students of the school where he taught painting. He produced "tableaux vivants" with remarkable success. He put on an exhibition of his own paintings (possibly the first such event in Cyprus). He gave private painting lessons and he undertook the artistic side of various events (such as flower festivals). Most important of all for Cyprus was the 1924 launch in Limassol (after he had left again for Egypt) of the island's first genuine literary periodical, "Avge". Nicolaides and Alithersis from Egypt, and the other young people inspired by him, provided the nucleus for its contents.