Another widespread form of drinking vessel was a loving-cup - ceremonial bowl whose form, as with the kovsh, is based on that of an Old Russian utensil. It was widely used in royal and noble families, and was an essential part of the feast-day tableware. Its name was derived from the Russian word "brat" (brother). At banquets the bratina, filled with kvass (rye beer), wine etc., was passed from "brother to brother" after a toast and a sip, taken from the vessel. The comparative simplicity of bratina's form is combined with intricate ornament. Its surface was usually covered with chased or flat-chased foliate design, decorated with gilding, precious stones and delicate engraving.

The Armoury collection include various types of Russian bratinas. The loving-cup of 1642, executed by maker Fyodor Evstigneev, has a pointed lid; its form recalls shapes of a cupola of a Russian church. These cups usually bore inscriptions with names of the owner or some Russian proverb or motto. The exhortation on this vessel reads: "True love is like a vessel of gold; it can never be broken. And if it should ever bend, then reason will mend it". Such kind of inscriptions always had a decorative as well as a moral purpose, forming the basis of a distinctive ornamentation for the object.

Bratinas could also be used as memorial cups. The silver bratina of the early XVIIth century was a part of a memorial set. It was filled with water sweetened with honey and was placed on the tomb of the deceased. Its remarkable decor, consisting of chased triangles, indicates its intended use. The inscription around the rim describes how it was executed in commemoration of the death of the Tsar's daughter.