At true size, Russia is about 2× the size of Brazil. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 11.6× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 5.8×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Brazil lies near 11°, inflated only about 1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 2×.