The win was the first for Russia in the female equivalent of the Davis Cup and crowns a thrilling year for Russian players in which Anastasia Myskina won the French Open, Svetlana Kuznetsova the US Open and Maria Sharapova - who did not play the Fed Cup - Wimbledon and the Masters.

Myskina was the heroine of the weekend, winning both her singles matches and tasting more glory in the doubles as a last-minute replacement for Elena Likhovtseva.

Afterwards she said it was better than winning the Roland Garros title.

The result Sunday came down to the wire, however, after France's Russian-born Tatiana Golovin beat Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie at 2-2 and take it to the final doubles match.

Earlier the hosts had taken a 2-1 lead after Myskina, the world ranked number three, beat Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 6-4 and left the holders hopes of retaining their title in the balance.

The French were left devastated by their defeat.

In the first Fed Cup final to be decided by the doubles match for six years, France missed three set points in the opening set, and Bartoli and Loit twice recovered from losing their serve in a nail-biting second set.

But the Russians held firm, and cheered on by a delirious crowd they finally got the decisive break in the 11th game, before Zvonareva served out for love.

Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin came down onto the court to offer his congratulations, just as he had two years ago in Paris when Russia defeated France to claim their first Davis Cup title.

Captain Shamil Tarpischev was asked which was sweeter, this first Fed Cup title or that Davis Cup triumph in 2002.

Russia becomes the tenth different nation in the history of the competition to lift the Fed Cup trophy.