conn = sql.connect(host='xxxxxxx', user='xxx', password='xxx', database='db', charset="utf8")

cur = conn.cursor()

townQuery = (u"""SELECT * FROM Towns  WHERE Title like '%s' """)
tqd = (u"%" +u"Серов"+u"%")
cur.execute(townQuery, tqd)

for  i in cur:
    print i

townQuery = u"""SELECT * FROM Towns  WHERE Title like %s"""
tqd = [u"%Серов%"]
cur.execute(townQuery, tqd)