on windows can't open CDR files with cyrillic (or any non-ASCII?) symbols in name/path.

Could you please provide details about the installed inkscape version?
(which arch (for Inkscape), which installer or packaged archive did you download and install)

msi package.

I try inkscape-0.91.msi and inkscape-0.91-x64.msi from https://inkscape.org/en/download/windows/

I have the same problem in Win XP SP3 with "inkscape-0.91.msi"
Before (Friday 13), was installed "inkscape-0.48.4-1-win32.exe", and no problem was with it!

Changing bug status to 'Confirmed' based on user comment (#4).

on Windows 7, 32 bit, Inkscape 0.91 r13725 (Jan 30 2015) installed from an .exe file.
I am encountering the same problem if I try to load a .cdr file from the directory C:\Windows\Temp\teÖۼst\
However I do not get this problem if I load an .svg file from this directory.

Is your problem related only to .cdr files, or to .svg files as well?

>Is your problem related only to .cdr files, or to .svg files as well?

only cdr

@Alvin - is this via UniConvertor, or libcdr? (both input methods should be available - check the list of file types; those based on UniConvertor have '(UC)' in the file format string, and should be listed below the one based on libcdr)

>is this via UniConvertor, or libcdr

libcdr.

Reproduced on Windows XP, Inkscape trunk rev. 13963. Error message:
"Failed to load the requested file C:\test\д.cdr"

Also fails with 0.48.5 (uniconvertor) with a Python error before the "Failed to load" one.

Not reproduced with PNG and SVG files with Cyrillic characters.

Reproduced on Windows 7, Inkscape trunk rev. 14380 Error message:
"Failed to load the requested file C:\intel\интел.cdr"

Now fixed in most real world scenarios:
http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~inkscape.dev/inkscape/0.92.x/revision/15321
http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~inkscape.dev/inkscape/trunk/revision/15421

I also created a ticket upstream:
https://sourceforge.net/p/libwpd/tickets/9/

Let's see if somebody is motivated to account for Windows' peculiarities. ;-)