Python 2.7.3
sys.getdefaultencoding(): ascii
sys.getfilesystemencoding(): mbcs
locale.getpreferredencoding(False): cp1252
locale.getpreferredencoding(True): cp1252

----- os.listdir(b'.')
['??????? ???']

----- os.listdir(u'.')
[u'\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u044f']

----- os.stat('??????? ???')
*** Error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "testserh.py", line 51, in <module>
    res = os.stat(bname)
WindowsError: [Error 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect: '??????? ???'

----- os.stat(u'\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u044f')
nt.stat_result(st_mode=16895, st_ino=0L, st_dev=0, st_nlink=0, st_uid=0, st_gid=0, st_size=0L, st_atime=1355437148L, st_mtime=1355437148L, st_ctime=1355437148L)