At true size, Russia is about 5.3× the size of India. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 27.5× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 5.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while India lies near 23°, inflated only about 1.2×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 5.3×.