At true size, Russia is about 6.1× the size of Argentina. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 24.8× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 4.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Argentina lies near 35°, inflated only about 1.5×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 6.1×.