At true size, Russia is about 9× the size of Indonesia. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 54.6× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 6.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Indonesia lies near 2°, inflated only about 1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 9×.